Sweeping victory! Lehečka advances to his first Masters final, becoming the fifth Czech player in the Open Era.

In the first semifinal of the Miami Masters concluded early this morning, Czech player Lehečka, who has previously reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal, swept past French player Fils with two sets of 6-2, marking his first career Masters final. Moreover, he has become the fifth Czech male tennis player to reach a Masters final in the Open Era. So, which Czech male tennis players have reached Masters finals before him? Today, let this article take you through the details.

In January 2002, Czech player Novák marched triumphantly through the Australian Open, reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal—the only time he ever reached that stage. In mid-October, as a seeded player, he received a bye in the first round of the Madrid Masters. Starting from the second round, Novák began a remarkable run, defeating Spanish players Robredo and Moyà, Thai player Srichaphan, and French player Santoro to reach his first Masters final. Novák thus became the first Czech player to reach a Masters final; unfortunately, due to various reasons, he withdrew before the final match. That year, Novák reached a career-high world ranking of TOP5.

In 2004, Czech player Štěpánek emerged from the Paris Masters qualifying rounds to enter the main draw. He then continued his strong performance, advancing to the final. Although Štěpánek fought hard in a three-set final, he ultimately lost to Russian player Safin; nevertheless, he achieved a new career breakthrough. In 2006, Štěpánek again reached the final at the Hamburg Masters, but once more fell to his opponent, finishing as runner-up.

In 2005, Czech player Berdych’s Grand Slam results declined noticeably compared to the 2004 season. At the end of October, in the first round of the Paris Masters, he defeated compatriot Novák. Thereafter, Berdych surged unstoppably, defeating tournament second seed Argentine player Coria, Spanish seeded player Ferrero, tournament seventh seed Argentine player Gaudio, tournament eighth seed compatriot Štěpánek, and tournament sixth seed Croatian player Ljubičić. By winning the title, he became the first Czech player to claim a Masters championship. He later reached finals at the 2010 Miami Masters, 2012 Madrid Masters, and 2015 Monte Carlo Masters. To date, Berdych remains the Czech player with the most Masters final appearances.

In mid-March 2025, Czech player Menšík, who had previously reached a Masters quarterfinal, battled through three tough sets in the first round of the Miami Masters to defeat former Wimbledon semifinalist Spanish player Agut. In the second round, Menšík gained confidence by winning two tiebreaks against British player Draper, who had just secured a Masters title.

Due to compatriot Macháč’s withdrawal, he advanced without playing, allowing his stamina to recover. Subsequently, Menšík defeated seeded French player Fils, American player Fritz, and Serbian superstar Djokovic. By winning the championship, he became the second Czech player to win a Masters title after a twenty-year gap.

Today, Lehečka has reached his first career Masters final at the Miami Masters. Can he become the third Czech player to win a Masters title? Let us wait and see. That concludes today’s tennis story; we’ll continue tomorrow.（Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin居士）