15.06.2021 18:42:37 | The Spaniard Pablo Andujar was looking forward to playing in Prostėjov. Moreover, he was to defend the points from his victory at MONETA Czech Open in 2019 as well as his appearance in the last years final. Once the rankings are updated and counted as in the pre-Covid period, both ATP and WTA rankings will be shattered.
Few expected the top seed would be knocked out. “Andujar came to win the tournament in Prostėjov. He previously defeated Federer before Roland Garros and Thiem in the first round in Paris. Moreover, he and his native Pedro Martinez advanced to the doubles semi-finals at the Grand Slam and seemed to be in very good form,“ said the tournament director Petra Černošková before the MONETA Czech Open tournament. Could the Spaniard possibly lose to the Japanese Yosuke Watanuki (ATP 255) ? The Spaniard won the first set 6:1, but then the match changed direction. “The first set was hard for me. I had not played a match for two months and that was why I was quite nervous and lost my serve repeatedly. Then I started to concentrate just on the next point, which helped me come back into the match. I hadn’t won a match on clay for long but I have to admit the local courts are really great, much better than those in Japan. I watched Pablo at Roland Garros on TV previously. He played excellent tennis and even made his way up to the doubles semis. I’m very happy for the victory. It was a surprise for me, I really didn’t expect I would win,“ said Yosuke Watanuki in satisfaction after the match. What did the chief coach of the Prostėjov club Jaroslav Navrátil had to say in this regard? “The Japanese have been in Prostėjov since Thursday and have been practicing on a daily basis. What did I like most about Watanuki? He was not afraid of Andujar and showed no respect to him. He persistently pursued his goal and did not give up after the painful loss in the first set. It is what it is, we should get used to new names in tennis…“
