100% Czech fight

Quite a generation coming up..

At the end of the match against Joint, the commentator asked Valentova what was happening in the Czech Republic to produce so much tennis talent. Tereza simply replied:"There must be something in the air.". I'm almost starting to believe it. It is a country of exceptional champions: Krejčíková, Vondroušová, Muchová, Kvitová, Plíšková, Šafářová, and so on. The next generation is scary. Valentova, Bartůňková who beat Kasatkina today, Bejlek, and the next nuggets: Samson, the Kovačková twin sisters, Palicová, Šalková… the list is endless.

For this matchup, the market overwhelmingly favors Valentova, and frankly, this is an exaggeration. The match against Joint was one-sided because the Australian prodigy never managed to establish a convincing serve: weak, with many double faults, and consistently attacked on her second serve. Not to mention the unforced errors; an unrecognizable Valentova, who was constantly on the back foot, which is completely out of character for her. Valentova remained solid, quickly capitalizing on the situation. I thought she was quite good on her feet, an aspect she seems to have been working on.

However, her serve remained average, and she was often troubled on the return by Maya, which is quite noticeable. My feeling at the end of the match was closer to a Maya defeat than a clear victory for Valentova. Naturally, the hype surrounding her, combined with the fact that she beat Maya Joint on her home turf, has lowered the odds.

Does Fruhvirtova deserve such a high price tag? I don't think so. We analyzed her match against Lulu Sun yesterday, and it paid off: a solid 0/2 at odds of 2.20, with a prediction that perfectly reflected the match. Linda faced an enterprising Lulu Sun, who came to the net a lot and kept her two meters behind the baseline. But the Czech player's speed made the difference. Linda quickly realized that Lulu couldn't rely on her powerful aces and adapted her strategy accordingly, making frequent use of passing shots.

A very enjoyable match to watch, with Linda showing great responsiveness. Both players advanced past their first-round Grand Slam opponents for the first time. Linda erupted with joy at the end, immediately gaining valuable experience and confidence. Unlike Valentova, who mainly benefited from her opponent's errors, Linda earned this result through sheer grit and determination. A significant difference, in my opinion.