Jiří Lehečka advanced to the final of the ATP 500 in Tokyo after defeating Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6–4, 6–2 in the semifinals. The Czech player needed just 68 minutes to dispatch his opponent, dropping only four points on his serve and firing 10 aces. He arrived in the Japanese metropolis in fantastic form, extending a run that began with straight-set victories over Zizou Bergs and Ugo Humbert before a dominant quarterfinal win over Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo.
Dominant Semifinal Victory in Tokyo
In the second set, the 24-year-old broke the world No. 14 in the opening game and secured a double break in the seventh game before serving out the match with a clean game. He did not face a single break point and won over 86% of points on his first serve across the tournament, finishing the semifinal with 24 winners and just five unforced errors. The ATP website awarded Lehečka a near-flawless rating of 9.0 out of 10 for his preceding quarterfinal performance against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. Vacherot reached the semifinal after defeating Arthur Fils and Stefanos Tsitsipas, and suffered his first defeat against the Czech player after previously beating him at an ATP Masters event in Paris.
Head-to-Head History Against Carlos Alcaraz
Lehečka will face world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in Tuesday’s singles final. Alcaraz advanced by overcoming compatriot Jaume Munar 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 in the semifinals. The 21-year-old Spaniard missed roughly half of the season due to injury. The final marks their fifth career meeting, with Alcaraz holding a 3–1 head-to-head advantage. Their previous encounters include a victory for Lehečka at an ATP 500 event in Doha, contrasted by Alcaraz victories at Queen’s Club on grass, in the quarterfinals of the US Open where the score was 4–6, 2–6, 4–6, and another match on London grass. Playing against a player like Carlos is probably one of the biggest challenges in our sport,
Lehečka stated. We all know what he is capable of, and he is getting back to his form. I already beat him once on a hard court and at an ATP 500 tournament, so I’ll try to take some positives from that match.
Lehečka faces defending champion Alcaraz in Tokyo final
Reaching the Tokyo final marks Lehečka’s eighth career ATP singles final and his second of the season, following a runner-up finish at the Miami Open Masters event in March where he fell to Jannik Sinner 4–6, 4–6. The Czech player holds a 2–5 career record in ATP finals, having previously claimed titles in Adelaide and Brisbane. Alcaraz enters the match as the defending champion in Tokyo, having described his run at the tournament last year as potentially the best of his career. It will be a tough match, but in an ATP 500 final you can’t expect anything easy,
Lehečka noted. I will be ready, I’ll go into it leaving everything out there, and we’ll see how it develops.
What time does the Tokyo final start?
What time does the Tokyo final start?
The singles final between Jiří Lehečka and Carlos Alcaraz is scheduled for Tuesday morning local time in Tokyo.
What is Jiří Lehečka’s current record in ATP finals?
Lehečka holds a 2–5 career record in singles finals on the ATP Tour, capturing titles previously in Adelaide and Brisbane.
How many aces did Lehečka hit in the semifinals?
Lehečka fired 10 aces against Valentin Vacherot while losing only four points on his first serve.
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