Radek-al change

The Czech first upsets James Blake to clinch only his second title, and then targets a return to the top 10

LOS ANGELES: Czech Radek Stepanek banished memories of a nightmare end to last year by upsetting James Blake 7-6 5-7 6-2 in the final of the Los Angeles Classic on Sunday. 

The 28-year-old from Karvina, a former world number eight, was ranked 101st at the start of this week, having been sidelined for six months last year because of a neck injury, broke the second-seeded American twice in the third set to seal victory in two hours 20 minutes at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

Despite taking a medical timeout late in the match to have treatment on his left hamstring, Stepanek outplayed his more powerful opponent with guile and impressive speed about the court. Out of action for six months last year because of a neck injury that he felt might curtail his career, the unseeded Czech celebrated his second ATP title in exuberant fashion. He performed a break dance in front of the crowd before throwing his racket into the stands and falling to the ground. 

“I don’t know what I did, I just couldn’t believe that I was able to win it,” a beaming Stepanek told reporters. “I felt a release in the body and then I just fell down. It is an incredible feeling. At one point, I was scared I was not going to play tennis any more. But I came back and I can’t complain today. I went through a very tough time in my career so this title means for me a lot more than the first one,” the Czech added, referring to his only other ATP success in Rotterdam last year.

“Every title has its own special atmosphere but this one emotionally means much more.” The Czech edged the opening set 9-7 on a tiebreak in just under an hour after each player had squandered a 0-40 lead on their opponent’s serve. Blake conjured a superbly angled backhand return before wasting three break points in the eighth game, Stepanek fighting back before unleashing an ace to level the set at 4-4.

The momentum shifted in favour of the Czech when Blake made successive unforced errors in the 11th game to trail 0-40 on his own serve before the American came back to hold. 

After Blake failed to take advantage of three set points in the tiebreak, Stepanek won the set at the first opportunity with a searing forehand down the line. Breaks of serve were traded in the fifth and sixth games of the second set before Blake won the 11th on Stepanek’s serve, ending a well-crafted rally with an overhead smash to lead 6-5 and then served out for the set.

Blake saved two game points on his own serve before winning the second game of the final set but Stepanek tightened his grip by breaking the American in the fourth, hitting a backhand service return winner down the line to stretch his lead to 3-1. The Czech again broke Blake in the eighth game to seal victory. 

“I just couldn’t quite come up with the shots at the right times,” said Blake. “He came up with great shots in that tiebreaker to save set points and he served great in the third set. So I can’t hang my head too low about that, he played great.” Stepanek has now set his sights on regaining a top-10 ranking.

“I am on my way back there (to the top 10) but I know that it will take time, patience and hard work,” the 28-year-old said. Stepanek’s ATP ranking has plummeted to 101st following his nightmare finish to the 2006 season. He suffered a neck injury while practising in Toronto in August. For a while, he feared his professional career might be over. “I didn’t play tennis for six months and, at one point, I was scared I was not going to play tennis any more,” he said.