Jiri Lehecka, after beating Jack Draper to reach his first Queen’s final, has delivered his verdict on the crowd.
After all, he arguably received them at their most one-sided, with the Czechia star facing off against the British number one on home soil.
Their unilateral support was not surprising, but at times some have buckled under the pressure applied by this environment.
Lehecka was not one of them, battling through and speaking about his experience in the post-match.
Jiri Lehecka gives his honest verdict on the Queen’s crowd this week
Considering the pushback he received from Jack Draper, and how tightly the match was contested, Lehecka did incredibly well to not fold under the increasing duress from the crowd.
Asked about them and their unwavering support for the hometown hero, he admitted: ‘Yeah. I mean, I knew since the beginning that it would be a very big challenge for me to beat Jack on his home soil here in London. But at the same time, you know, I think that the audience today, they were very fair.
‘I must say that of course they were cheering a lot for Jack. They were supporting him through the whole match. But at the same time, I kind of felt like they recognized when I hit a good ball, you know. They were very fair, in my opinion.
‘At the same time, I mean, I played in much more hostile environments before. I played against Rafa in Madrid when it was his last dance there in Madrid. So there was, I must say, very, very great atmosphere. It was something I have never seen before.
‘So since that moment, every time I play against a player who is playing at home and is supported by the crowd, I’m just trying to relax. You know, I mean, it’s something I should have expected, and I did that.
‘Yeah, I think that the crowd was very fair, and I enjoyed to play in front of Queen’s fans, although that it was against home favourite.’
Whilst this marked a measured response to a potentially tricky question, Draper was praised for what he said after the match too when asked about Wimbledon.
Jiri Lehecka could be a dark horse for Wimbledon
Given the nature of grass courts, a whole host of players spring to life when this part of the season rolls around.
After all, despite how short it is, the surface suits their game styles perfectly; as such, they need to make the most out of their time on the turf.
Lehecka does boast an all-court play style, but his powerful ball striking and wicked serve certainly translate well to the grass.
That therefore will make him a keen threat at Wimbledon, even before this magical run to the Queen’s final.
This year he has already beaten three top-ten opponents, including his fellow finalist Carlos Alcaraz and now Draper. Not to mention that he has made the third and fourth rounds respectively at the last two Grand Slams.
The 23-year-old is slowly improving in 2025, and could justifiably make Wimbledon his finest performance yet after a strong first week on English soil.
