Tennis player Bouzková has already shaken off her nervousness in Prague and is learning to play with role favorites
Update: 27/07/2022 18:40
Issued by: 27/07/2022, 18:40
Prague – Tennis player Marie Bouzková celebrated her first advance to the quarterfinals at the Livesport Prague Open tournament and continues to fulfill her role as a favorite. With this new situation, she is learning to work at the home event of the WTA circuit. The seeded eighth seed eliminated compatriot Dominika Šalková without any problems after winning 6:1, 6:2 and was happy that she was no longer as nervous on the court as she was in the first round against the Austrian Sinje Krausová. In the next match, the native of Prague will challenge Russia’s Oksana Selechmeteva.
“It was a much better match than on Monday. I was fine and I wasn’t so nervous anymore. Except for one match at the end of the match, I also played well,” said Bouzková at the press conference. “I knew that Domča came a lot, and she was ready for it. From the beginning, I tried to play what was needed. It was a fight until the end, but I’m glad that I managed it,” added the twenty-four-year-old player.
The quarter-finalist still belongs to Wimbledon, which is ranked 66th in the WTA rankings and is getting used to the unknown role of the favorite in Prague. “It’s maybe a little harder. It’s still a new stadium for me, but it was better than on Monday. I don’t know if I’m such a favorite again now, but it’s definitely a slightly different feeling,” said Bouzková, who reached the quarterfinals for the fourth time in this.
At the same time, she praised the young Czechs who made it to the 2nd round of the tournament. After Šalková, 17-year-old Lucie Havlíčková and Linda Nosková will also fight for promotion to the top eight on Thursday. Havlíčková will challenge the world number two from Estonia, Anett Kontaveitová, Noska’s tournament number five, Alizé Cornetová from France. “The number is unbelievable. Every year we have more and more young successful girls. Someone new always emerges. Of course, Domča still has a lot ahead of her,” said Bouzková and praised the training conditions for young tennis players.
She herself will start on Friday in the battle for players against the world number 170 Selechmeteva. The nineteen-year-old Russian made it to the main competition from the qualification, where she also eliminated another Czech, Nikola Bartůňková. “I have to say that I don’t know her at all. But we will prepare for the match,” added Bouzková.