The Štvanice duo Markéta Vondroušová and Tereza Martincová should direct Czech tennis players in the qualification against Great Britain to the final tournament of the Billie Jean Kingová Cup.
In Friday’s clay doubles at Negrelli’s viaduct, Vondroušová wants to cope with the pressure of the team leader and Martincová manages to make a challenging premiere in the team competition.
The 32-year-old Vondroušová will be the favorite of the match with Harriet Dartová, the 101st WTA tennis player.
“She’s more of a concrete player, she’s playing pretty well on the grass and I’ll see you in clay. We’ve been training a bit, but you don’t look much out of it, so I won’t follow it. I’ll see what he comes up with, but I’ll focus on myself “Vondroušová, 22, planned.
Paris Grand Slam finalist Roland Garros from three years ago, Vondroušová, realizes that points are expected of her as the number one team. “Which is a bit of pressure,” she agreed, adding that the pressure is exacerbated by the fact that it is played on clay and in club I. ČLTK, where she trains. “But I have to be used to it and somehow deal with it. I’m glad I can be number one, and I want to help the girls,” she said.
The Sokolov native plays team competitions for the fourth time in her career and for the third time in a row at home. In Prostějov the year before, she played the number one role and won both singles. Last year in Prague in the final tournament she was second and also managed both of her matches.
“With the O2 arena behind me, it will be better here with nervousness. Playing at home is a challenge, I like to play these matches and I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
The first match after a month awaits Vondroušová. The last time she played in Indian Wells, she had to leave Miami due to sinusitis. “And it’s the first clay match of the season… But I have a clay game, the training was good, so I hope it will be fine,” believed the silver Olympic medalist.
Martincová’s World Fifty will have a sharp premiere. She also trains at Štvanice and her opponent will be the world twelve and last year’s sensational US Open winner Emma Raducanuová.
“It’s a huge challenge. It never occurred to me that I would have such a premiere at home, still at Štvanice and against the grand slam winner. It’s unusual, but pleasant. I will try,” the Czech Republic promised.
Raducanu also introduces herself in the team competition for the first time, and she also has a premiere clay competition between women. But even Martincová is not a typical clay filmmaker. “It will be more of a game than a clay game in my presentation. But I can adapt,” Martincová said.
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