Jiri Lehecka wins Brisbane International title after Opelka's injury
What's the story
Jiri Lehecka won the Brisbane International, his second ATP tour title, after his opponent Reilly Opelka was forced to retire early in the first set due to an injury. Lehecka was leading 4-1 when Opelka retired in the men's singles final. This victory comes after Lehecka's first tour-level trophy win in Australia in Adelaide last year. Here are further details.
Tournament performance
Lehecka's journey to victory and ranking rise
Lehecka, now 23, is the second-youngest champion in the tournament's history. He also becomes the second Czech champion after Radek Stepanek who won the inaugural edition in 2009. On his way to the ATP 250 title in Brisbane, Lehecka defeated Holger Rune, Yoshihito Nishioka, Nicolas Jarry, and Grigor Dimitrov. The victory has propelled him four places up to number 24 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
Information
Second ATP tour title
As mentioned, Lehecka won in Adelaide last year to claim his maiden ATP Tour title. He defeated Jack Draper in the men's singles final to win the hard-court tournament. The former ended up winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Career challenges
Opelka's struggle with injuries and performance
On the other hand, Opelka has been troubled by wrist and hip injuries over the last two seasons, missing out on a lot of time. The Brisbane International was his seventh tour-level final and he was hoping for his first title outside the United States. Before his unfortunate injury withdrawal, Opelka had defeated Novak Djokovic on his way to this final, a major achievement in his career.