Sports News
By Peter Smith
Czech tennis doubles player Cyril Suk is taking Tennis Australia to court. The brother of former top 10 women's player Helena Sukova is claiming over US$1.25 million from the governing body Down-Under as damages for being scolded by an urn of hot water at last year's Australian Open. The player's lawyers are suing on the grounds that Tennis Australia contravened laws concerning occupiers' liability. The case is expected to last six to nine months.
Football and Viktoria Zizkov appear to have failed in their attempt to reunite one of the most prolific Czech striking partnerships of modern times. Martin Frydek and Horst Siegl were fixtures up front in the Sparta Prague team of the early and mid 1990s. Both 31-years-old now, Frydek is finding it difficult to get into Teplice's starting line-up, whereas Siegl these days turns out only on rare occasions for the Czech champions.
It was the close friendship between the two strikers that enticed Prague's smallest top-flight club to make separate approaches to Sparta and Teplice. Unfortunately for Zizkov coach Ivan Hornik, Teplice are unwilling to let Frydek leave even though the player himself has expressed an interest in returning to the capital.
"I wouldn't be against a transfer to Zizkov," Frydek said, "in part because I would like to play with Horst (Siegl) again. They must agree a deal with Teplice first, though."
In Siegl's case it's the reverse problem. "We've agreed things with Sparta,' said Hornik. 'But we understand the problem lies with Horst. It will be a very difficult decision for him to leave Sparta Prague."
With a glut of top-class forwards on the Sparta books now, though, it would appear that Siegl's days at Letna are numbered.
Finally hockey and a boost for the Czech Republic's preparations for the up-coming World Cup. The two-time World Champion and member of the Czech's 1998 Olympic gold-medal winning team, Jiri Dopita, has agreed to play in a build-up match against Sweden in Stockholm next month. Coach Josef August has named three newcomers in the squad, as well as three foreign-based players.
