When it seemed that Tomáš Macháč’s promotion this year could not be better, the show came in Shanghai. The twenty-three-year-old Czech bravely went among the brightest stars in modern tennis at the prestigious tournament in the Chinese capital. Immediately, two famous rivals identified him as a player of comparable quality to the five best tennis players in the world.
Tommy Paul turned to his coach after one of Macháč’s winning balls.
“How come this one isn’t in the top five,” he asked in amazement.
The American is world number 13 and one of the most technically refined players, but he had to bow down to the Czech tennis player twice in eleven days.
Makhač, whom he had not met before on the tour, is now difficult to get out of his head. In Tokyo and soon after in Shanghai, he lost to him despite leading 1:0 in sets.
After the second loss, when he sent a hearty congratulations on the net, it clearly showed how much Čech’s tennis was caught.
“Good luck, man. Win this tournament,” smiled Paul Macháče in wonder, as four-time Grand Slam winner and former reigning Beijing champion Carlos Alcaraz awaited him in the quarterfinals.
As it happened a day later, Paul knew very well what he was talking about.
Cheer after cheer went through the air as the Spanish superstar held a press conference after the stunning 6-7, 5-7 defeat.
“I felt like I was playing against one of the five best players in the world. I’m not talking about the top ten quality, but the top five quality. The level was his very high. I felt good, but at times I just didn’t know what to do,” said the second player in the world.
Jannik Sinner, the number one in the world, joined in the praise, even though it was he who ended Macháč’s fairy-tale run in the semi-finals. Even in defeat, the Czech certainly impressed, but even Roger Federer himself praised his tricks in the stands.
And Sinner, who beat Novak Djokovic in the finals, said: “I think we’ve all seen how talented he is and how quickly he can shoot.
No one had a higher average forehand speed during the tournament. Macháč finished at 133 kilometers per hour, Taylor Fritz had 131, Djokovic 127 and Sinner 125.
After his first Asian tour, Macháč is suddenly the 25th player in the world ranking.
“He has been impressive in the past, but his recent performances have been on a completely different level. What is certain is that he will not be liked by anyone as an opponent,” wrote the Tennis expert .com Ed McGrogan.
Expectations around the Czech tennis player grow even as his confidence exploded at first sight.
Macháč is increasingly working as a showman not only in the game itself, in which he was in China introducing more attractive jump shots in the style of Gael Monfils, but also thanks to various opinions.
In the semi-finals, he made the entire stadium and Federer laugh with a quick remark, before describing his own performances as “amazing”.
His response to Alcaraz’s Instagram congratulatory message also went viral on social media.
“Thank you and sorry for my level of play,” he replied, which went unnoticed. “That’s a lot of bragging from Macháč,” famous tennis journalist José Morgado tweeted humorously.
Bohemia is currently loaded with a dose of horse self-confidence, which is an essential component for further development.
Before the match with Alcaraz, he firmly stated that he believed in victory, and acted accordingly on the court. He broke the Spanish star in the most difficult stages mentally, when he did not accept the pressure of the moment. He succeeded mainly because of confidence and healthy ability, without which this would not have been possible.
Watch how Tomáš Macháč beat Carlos Alcaraz in Shanghai:
Tomáš Macháč – Carlos Alcaraz, a cut of the quarter-finals in Shanghai | Video: Associated Press
2024-10-14 11:37:00
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