My opponent was Vit Kopriva. He’s 28, and outside the Top 50, and not a household name. But in the pros you don’t have to be young or well-known to be a really good player who can push anyone on the right day. I knew going in that he was playing well. He made the semis at the 500 in Rio last month, and he’s at a career high ranking in the 60s now.
He played well against me, no question. He was hitting his backhand really well. I don’t think I played badly. The score was 7-6 (5), 7-5, and it was just a few loose points here and there, especially in the first-set tiebreak, that cost me. It was close to two hours for two sets, and it was very back and forth. He was up in both sets, and I got it back. He had another good match with a seed, Alexander Bublik, after that.
It’s a match you want to win, but the fact that he’s 60 in the world, and it was close, gives me the confidence that the level’s there. I think the way we shook hands at the net, I could see he thought it was a tough match.
👉 The Match in 15, Michael Zheng vs. Vit Kopriva
