The European indoor hard-court swing has reached its penultimate stages, with the ATP 250 Antwerp tournament not disappointing either. The most arresting semifinal battle pits Spain's Marcos Giron against the Czechia of Jiri Lehecka in a battle of great resilience and tactical sharpness. Both players have had impressive wins to make it to this clash, and both will fancy their chances of holding the trophy.
The head-to-head is in favor of Lehecka, leading 2-1. The last time they faced off at the ATP Stuttgart in June 2023, he registered a very close victory on grass, 2-1. Both their styles have clashed a couple of times in thrilling matches. Lehecka's hard hitting from the baseline came out offset by Giron's nuggety resistance.
Claim Welcome BonusMarcos Giron
Seeded ATP 47 Marcos Giron showed steady form throughout the tournament. The American comes into this semifinal on a three-match win streak in straight matches, maintaining clean sheet performances in his last three matches as he took down Belgian Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-2. Giron has been serving well throughout, particularly on first serve points won, 94% against Bergs. He will need to exploit that trait by taking control of rallies and searching for opportunities on Lehecka's return games.
The key for Giron will be holding the first serve percentage and remaining dominant in shorter rallies. His ability to win points behind his first serve, 94%, and saving of all break points in the last match showed his sharpness under pressure. Now, against the aggressive Lehecka, who can feast when given time to unload on his groundstrokes, long exchanges must be avoided. It also makes the backhand slice of Giron quite vital as he tries to neutralize the powerful forehand of Lehecka by making him play uncomfortable shots.
Jiri Lehecka
Equally in-form will be Jiri Lehecka, ATP 33, after his stunning 6-4, 6-4 win over the highest-ranked player in the tournament, Stefanos Tsitsipas. The powerful serving from the Czech-one that produced eight aces-and his aggressive approach off the ground kept Tsitsipas at bay. He was consistent on second serve, with 60%, and had solid return points won-35% first serve returns and 40% second serve returns-which show he can also pressurize his opponents in key moments.
Lehecka will want to continue with his aggressive game plan, particularly following through on most points with his forehand and dictating play. His serve is setting him up nicely, often at crucial times, and against the solid returning of Giron, he'll want to maintain that high first serve win percentage of 91%. This is a match where Lehecka must keep Giron deep behind the baseline, particularly targeting Giron's backhand. He can take advantage of the short balls and push onto the net to stay well in front of Giron.
Expert Betting Tips
Giron comes into this match in good form, having won his last three matches without dropping a set, but the win of Lehecka over Tsitsipas makes him a favorite on paper. Giron's consistency and saving of break points-100% in his last match-will make life tough for any player trying to break. But also, the power and tactical aggression of Lehecka during the return games-something quite important when he converted crucial break points against a player like Tsitsipas-will give him an upper edge on the faster indoor surface.
This should be a well-contested match with both players giving it their best, but Lehecka's better head-to-head and big-match performance of late may be just what he needs to edge forward into the final.
- Jiri Lehecka Wins + Over 19.5 Games @ 1.96 Odds
- Over 22.5 Games @ 1.78 Odds
- Jiri Lehecka Wins 2-1 @ 3.50 Odds
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