Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka – First Round – Preview & Prediction | 2022 Australian Open
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THE FACTS
When is Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka on and what time does it start? Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka will take place on Tuesday 18th January, 2022 – not before 02:00 (UK)
Where is Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka taking place? Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka will take place at Melbourne Mark in Melbourne, Australia
What surface is Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka being played on? Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka
What channel is Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka on in the UK? Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka will be televised live on Eurosport
Where can I stream Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka in the UK? Eurosport subscribers can stream Grigor Dimitrov vs Jiri Lehecka live on their website, while Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go
THE LOWDOWN
GRIGOR DIMITROV
Former world number three Grigor Dimitrov won the ATP Finals in 2017 to cap off a blistering year that promised more than his current total of eight ATP titles. The 30-year-old has struggled for consistent form practically ever since with occasional flurries of brilliance exhibited at seemingly random times, the most recent example coming in his run to the semi-finals of Indian Wells last October via wins over Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz. The Bulgarian reached the quarter-finals here last season in another burst that saw him outclass Dominic Thiem in straight sets before a four-set defeat to qualifier Aslan Karatsev. Dimitrov reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2014, the Australian Open in 2017 and the US Open in 2019.
JIRI LEHECKA
20-year-old Jiri Lekecka set a career-high ATP world ranking of 138th late last season after a successful year spent on the Challenger circuit. The Czech youngster is making his Grand Slam debut here after qualifying well as the 18th seed last week, with a win over Australia’s Max Purcell particularly impressive.
THE PREDICTION
These kinds of matches against relatively unknown prospects like 20-year-old Jiri Lehecka and generally matches he should be winning comfortably are exactly the sort of matches world number 28 Grigor Dimitrov can struggle with. The 30-year-old has all the talent at his disposal to win this Australian Open and if he gets up to speed he could find himself in the latter stages quite reasonably, especially with Stefanos Tsitsipas under-par right now in his portion of the draw. Lehecka will be up for this in a huge way on his Grand Slam debut and if he stays with Dimitrov across the match and pounces at the right moments he could snatch at least a set here just as easily as Dimitrov blasting through in three. Take the Bulgarian to win outright for an uninspiring pick but a side punt on Lehecka to snatch a set could be valuable. The mercurial, vastly likeable Bulgarian is on a list of players never to include in an accumulator.
