04.06.2022 14:50:02 | Vít Kopřiva became the champion of the Prostějov UniCredit Czech Open. The 24-year-old Czech defeated five years younger Dalibor Svrčina in the biggest final of his career. After five triumphs on the lower ITF tour, he celebrates his first challenger title. Although Kopřiva has already appeared in a semifinal and twice in the third round on the ATP tour, he did not manage to win a Challenger title until now. He has already appeared in the semi-finals four times, in quarter-finals many times, but he has only made it to the final for the first time this week in Prostějov.
Dalibor Svrčina made the better start to the final match: he quickly took a lead to 2:0 and had some break opportunities in the third game. Had he converted them and take lead to 3:0, maybe the final would have turned out differently... Nevertheless, Vít Kopřiva saved his serve and started a big turnaround. The long seventh game was crucial: Svrčina had several chances to get back into the set. However, he didn't take them and after Kopřiva increased his lead to 5:2, it was already clear who would win the first set. In the last game Svrčina made two double faults and the first set was quickly over. "I don’t feel positive about the match. Except for the beginning which was good. I was leading 2:0 and had a chance for another break. It didn't work out. The opponent raised his game and outplayed me until the end of the match. Matches like this are always decided by small details. I didn’t manage to win key balls that I needed," said Svrčina.
Svrčina wanted to quickly forget the lost set which was manifested by his great effort at the beginning of the next one. The score was tight until 2:2, but then Kopřiva attacked. After winning his serve, he broke his opponent's and confirmed the break immediately afterwards. This also decided about who would be the champion. "It's an incredible feeling. Winning a tournament, especially at home, it just doesn’t happen to everyone. I was a bit more active in the match which was why I was winning the rallies. However, it was a close match. The final score doesn't quite reflect the course of the match. Dalibor was a tough opponent. I believe we will both stay on the winning side," said Kopřiva happily.
His success in Prostějov will earn him his career high on Monday: he will be ranked 147th in ATP. Nineteen-year-old Dalibor Svrčina will also jump by 25 places to the 174th place in ATP.
The awards were presented by Jakub Dusílek, Chairman of the Board and CEO of UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia, Ivo Kaderka, President of the Czech Tennis Association and Tennis Europe, Josef Suchánek, Governor of the Olomouc Region, František Jura, Mayor of Prostějov, Petra Černošková, Director of UniCredit Czech Open and former tennis player Radek Štěpánek
