The local level has a say

At 31, Tereza Martincova could have said goodbye to tennis after that knee injury where her bones were painfully grinding together, but she chose to fight for one last thrill on home soil. This round of 16 in Ostrava is a true battle of generations. Caty McNally is in sparkling form and her serve-and-volley game is deadly on the fast indoor hard courts of the Czech Republic. She’ll look to smother Tereza so she can’t set up her flat groundstrokes, which are nonetheless one of the Czech’s main weapons.

However, you should never write off a player who’s competing for her home crowd, especially when she’s coming back from medical hell. Tereza’s upset against Galfi in the previous round proves that she’s got her legs back under her and her legendary fighting spirit has returned. She’s the kind of player who, when carried by emotion, can give any attacking opponent a real run for her money. For Tereza, the key will be withstanding Caty’s early onslaughts in order to drag her into a battle of attrition. Caty has the momentum, but Tereza is playing with the heart of a comeback fighter who has nothing left to lose. On that front, the Czech is capable of hanging on to every game to keep the scoreline from getting away from her.