Prague’s O2 arena was flooded with disappointment. Czech tennis players do not fight for a world title in front of a domestic audience. “Perhaps I will be more beneficial to the team next time,” saddened the new team number one Barbora Krejčíková.
She could only dream of such a chance for many years. Barbora Krejčíková has long paid for an excellent doubles specialist in the national team, but for the first time at this year’s Billie Jean King Cup final event in Prague in the fairytale season, which catapulted her among the biggest stars of contemporary tennis, she played the team number one role.
Mentally and physically demanding premiere, moreover in front of the domestic audience, but she did not manage according to her ideas.
The world number three in the basic group lost both their matches. On Monday, Angelique Kerberová was not enough for the German and in the key Thursday single she also lost to the Swiss Belinda Bencicová. That’s why the tailors weren’t laughing.
“It was very difficult to play for the first time as number one. I’m sad. And disappointed that I didn’t help the team,” she blamed herself after the defeat with Belinda Bencic and covered her face with her hands.
On the other hand, she knew that she had done everything she could for the success of the national colors.
She was the only one of the world’s eight elite players to compete in the national teams, who will be fighting in the prestigious Champions Tournament from Wednesday, all the way to faraway Mexican Guadalajara.
She gave up a well-deserved rest and the necessary preparations for the peak of the season. She fought in Prague, but her strength was enough, despite her aching calf.
“I fought both matches for every balloon. They were the toughest opponents I could get here. All the girls here have more experience than me, it was new to me, I’m still learning. I have nothing to be ashamed of,” said the 25-year-old champion. Roland Garros as she banished the original black thoughts.
She tried to look at the painful defeats positively, to look ahead.
“For me, it is a valuable experience for the future. I hope that I will play a lot of matches for the Czechia and I will be a more beneficial team in them,” she believed.
She also received words of consolation from Captain Petr Pála.
“There was a lot of pressure on Bar. For the first time and number one. It was home, she was looking forward, she wanted to play, which was great. But we had a very difficult group. Even if you’re third in the world “Recognized the most successful team leader in the history of the women’s team tennis competition.
According to him, Krejčíková would have a better chance on a slightly slower surface. “It was very fast, Bára would need something slower, higher bounces of the ball. But we couldn’t influence that. A different surface would definitely suit us a bit more,” said Pála.
After the defeat of Krejčíková, the captain sat down with the team and, by mutual agreement, chose Lucia Hradecká and Kateřina Siniaková in the decisive doubles.
After four years, the renewed couple decided the battle with the Germans on Monday, but this time they came across too hard a nut. Belinda Bencicová and Jil Teichmann celebrated their progress to the semifinals after an excellent performance.
“We decided this way because the girls won last time. It didn’t work out, but it didn’t work out mainly because of the great performance of the opponents. Belinda was upset and added peace to her partner. The girls lost from the beginning and it was crucial, Pála’s final doubles.
“Today was not our day. The Swiss served well and didn’t let us go. It’s very sorry, but we tried our best,” Siniak said.
“Our start was bad, especially from me. Then they didn’t give us a chance and we weren’t lucky either,” Hradecká added.
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