World number 44 Jiri Lehecka eased past Federico Coria 6-3 6-4 to reach the second round at the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Lehecka converted the only break point in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. The Czech player held serve on his next service games to win the opening set 6-3. The Czech player saved a break point in the second game before earning the break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead in the second set. Coria saved two break points in the seventh and ninth games to hold her serve. Lehecka served out the second set at love with an ace in the 10th game.
Lehecka fired 23 winners and won 75% of points at the net. Coria was not able to earn any break points.
Lehecka reached his first Grand Slam quarter final at the Australian Open last January just two months after finishing runner-up to Brandon Nakashima at the Next Gen ATP Finals and won his first Masters 1000 match in Indian Wells against Arthur Rinderknech.
Lehecka will face Lorenzo Musetti in the second round. In their only previous head-to-head Lehecka beat his Italian opponent in the quarter finals in Rotterdam.
“The conditions suit me much better than in Indian Wells. The surface is a bit faster and the balls are flying more. Today’s match was tough because it was my first match in Miami. I managed it well. I was serving pretty good. I knew that Federico improved a lot on hard courts, which meant I tried to prepare a bit better for one match and I am super happy that I won”, said Lehecka.
