“I felt that I needed to put a little bit more risk into my returns to be the one who is dictating the pace of the of the point,” Lehecka said. “So that was my goal today, and I think that I executed it well.”
Can Lehecka do something similar against Sinner? He might take a page from his fellow Czech Jakub Mensik, who was the last person to beat the Italian, six weeks ago in Doha. Mensik did it with 11 aces and maximum aggression from the baseline. Lehecka is capable of something similar on his best day, and the courts in Miami would help him in that cause. Of course, Sinner likes these courts, too; he’s 24-3 on them, and hasn’t lost a match here since 2023.
Sinner and Lehecka are two of the cleanest hitters in tennis. Maybe the best way to watch this match is to enjoy the ball-striking while we can, and take any competitive drama as a bonus. Winner: Sinner
