Jiri Lehecka: “I have the weapons to challenge” for Miami Open title

Jiri Lehecka’s experience carried him to a second career Masters 1000 semifinal on Wednesday, the 24-year-old Czech dispatching Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce, 7-6 (1), 7-5 at the Miami Open.

“I knew what to expect,” Lehecka told Prakash Amritraj in his visit to the Cadillac Tennis Channel Desk. “I knew he was going to play well and I knew that the level will be there. I did everything I could to stay in the match and work my way through the difficult situations.”

Those two difficult situations came at the end of each set, with Landaluce forcing a tiebreaker in the first and battling from the brink of defeat in the second before Lehecka was ultimately able to steel past his 20-year-old rival.

“These were the crucial moments where I feel I showed that I’m a little bit more experienced and I also did some good shotmaking there.

“The thing I saw about him was he really was the one who was winning the points. He went for it, he was very aggressive. It wasn’t just that some of the guys didn’t feel good or had a bad day. He was the one who really punished them and was aggressive going into it.”

That level of aggression proved a good test for who he’ll face for the chance to reach a first Masters 1000 final, Lehecka awaiting the winner of the quarterfinal clash between Tommy Paul and Arthur Fils later on Wednesday.

“I think both guys are playing with a little more spin if I compare them to Martin today, but they’re more experienced,” said Lehecka, the tournament’s No. 21st seed. “Both of them are great competitors. Tommy’s playing on home soil. Arthur’s in great form.

“We’re going to see. I’m very curious how that match is going to go, but I think whoever wins, on this court in Miami, I have the weapons to challenge them.”

Lehecka last made a Masters 1000 semifinal under more mixed circumstances back in 2024, the rising Czech star basking in a career breakthrough but already feeling the effects of a back injury—one that that ultimately ruled him out of action for three months.

“I have memories I will never forget from that week: good ones and bad ones, as well,” Lehecka told Amritraj. “I will never forget how I played Rafael Nadal in his last match in Madrid. That was huge. Every time someone is cheering against me, I think how I played Rafa in Madrid and how there were 13,000 people against me. My team were the only ones hoping I would win any point!”

Should Lehecka draw Paul, he could be in for a similar dynamic at the Hard Rock Stadium, but the two will be on somewhat equal footing when it comes to experience.

“It’ll definitely be a great match and I’ll cheer that the better guy wins today.”