Czechs in Australia

Can Lehecka defend his title in Brisbane?

Well, Lehecka seems to have had a great preparation in Tenerife for the new season, at least according to himself. He absolutely loves outdoor hardcourts in the Australian Swing; his results are fantastic here (20-3 W/L on HCP since 2022). It makes sense; the courts and conditions are similar (fast and "consistent") - rewarding his high-tempo, rhythm-based, and overpowering game (also getting a good amount of free points off his serve). Lehecka did have a disappointing end to 2025 with 3 blowout losses to Botic, Vacherot, and Munar (after losing the Brussels final to FAA); however, it felt like he was mostly "checked out" after a long season.

As for Machac, besides his Acapulco title early on, it was a season to forget. He was not able to find any rhythm whatsoever for the second half of the year, struggling with injuries. A few days ago, he did give us an update, saying he does feel better now. His results in the Australian Swing are average, but the conditions are not bad for him.

Both players have attacking baseline games and are comfortable playing fast. Machac is a better mover and has a backhand advantage, while Lehecka has a bigger serve and is more physically reliable. Big Servers tend to thrive in Brisbane, since the very fast conditions allow them to get plenty of points of unreturned serves or +1's. It's also at the very start of the season, which means that players are more likely to lack baseline rhythm - making free points off serve even more valuable. Lehecka's comfort level in the conditions, along with question marks about Machac's ability to get into top gear fast (not a lot of good performances for a long time), could tilt the match in Lehecka's favor. Can Machac find his high peak level straight away and trouble the defending champion - or will it be too big a step, a bit too soon...?