Jiří Lehečka, 23-year old Czech tennis player, and current ATP no. 24, won his second ATP title in Brisbane, last Sunday, after his rival, Reilly Opelka, was forced to retire very early. It was a bitter end for one of the first finals of the year. The first set was 4-1 in favour of Lehecka when Opelka gave up due to back pain.
Reilly Opelka surprised the crowds in Australia when he kicked Novak Djokovic out of the tournament. At 293, he was also the second lowest ATP ranked player to beat him. And he did after nearly two years off the court, suffering wrist and hip injuries, only playing sporadically.
Despite reaching the final, the huge 27-year-old Florida man, standing 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in), couldn't even finish a set. "Unfortunately, my back has been giving me issues. The tournament doctor and ATP physio were unbelievable at throwing the kitchen sink at it. We worked on it all day but it wasn't right enough to compete", he said.
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