Tereza Valentova outlasted Marie Bouzková 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 in a rollercoaster match in Prague, winning the decisive tiebreak after a chaotic final set. Despite Bouzková firing four aces and winning 97 points to Valentova's 82, the Czech underdog showed resilience in the key moments to claim victory.
Bouzková raced through the first set, breaking three times – at 1-0, 2-1 and 5-2 – and saving all three break points she faced to take it 6-2. Valentova turned the tide in the second, converting breaks at 2-2, 3-3 and the crucial one at 4-6 to level the match. The third set descended into chaos: ten service breaks in twelve games saw neither player hold serve until the tiebreak, where Valentova held her nerve to seal the win.
The numbers tell a tale of missed opportunities for Bouzková: she won 70% of her first-serve points (45/64) and saved six of eleven break points, yet still lost. Valentova, despite a lower first-serve win rate (58%), saved five of eleven break points and converted exactly half of her five break chances – a razor-thin margin that decided the match.