Sports News

Slavia Prague have kept their nerve to win ice hockey's Extraliga for the first time in the club's history. In other hockey news Jaromir Jagr has said he won't play for the Czech Republic in the forthcoming World Championships because he doesn't have anything to offer the team at the moment. In football, Slavia have narrowed the gap at the top of the table and any ideas when a Czech tennis player won in the singles in a tournament on the world circuit? Clue: it wasn't recently.

Sports News

Slavia crowned Extraliga champions after tough series against Pardubice

Slavia Prague, photo: CTK

Slavia Prague have - for the first time in their history - been crowned champions of the Czech elite league the Extraliga. Slavia fought a long, hard battle against a dogged Pardubice but eventually took the trophy in the seventh and last game of the series, with a single goal deciding the final meeting on Thursday. The Prague club's young coach Vladimir Ruzicka described the title win as a "little Nagano" and few Slavia fans would disagree. Among the heroes of the play-offs were the hot-headed but free-scoring Radek Duda and - perhaps Slavia's key player - goaltender Roman Malek; the 25-year-old could now be bound for the bigtime of the NHL.

Tired Jagr refuses to play for Czechs in ice hockey World Championships

The best-known Czech star in the NHL, Jaromir Jagr, has said he won't play for the Czech Republic at the upcoming World Championships in Finland, despite the fact that his club season ended when his Washington Capitals were knocked out of the Stanley Cup. A tired Jagr explained why he didn't want to take part in the World Championships.

"I've always said I'd be glad to play at the World Championships if I had something to offer but at the moment I don't feel I have much to offer. I don't feel too good. I think there are a lot of guys in the team who can really play excellent hockey and I wish them luck."

The Czech preparations for the World Championships - which start this weekend - have not been going as well as they might. After losing 5:3 against reigning champions Slovakia in a friendly on Thursday, the Czechs were also beaten by Russia - this time 2:1 - on Sunday.

Slavia narrow gap at top of Czech football league

Second-placed Slavia Prague have narrowed the gap between them and leaders Sparta to five points, with a 3:1 win over Synot on Monday. That result came two days after Sparta dropped two points in their 2:2 draw away to Pribram. Last season's title-winners Liberec are in third after a late goal from Jan Nezmar gave them a 1:0 win over Ostrava.

Czech tennis without a singles win for over two years

When would you say a Czech tennis player last won in the singles on a tournament on the world circuit? Well, it was September 2001, when Jan Vacek won a clay court tournament in Salvador, Brazil. Things are even worse when it comes to the ladies, with the last singles win in 2000, when Daja Bedanova won a tournament in Bratislava. Jiri Novak has made the world top ten by virtue of the fact that he often reaches the later stages of competitions, not by winning them, and as for Bedanova she's only won four games this year: not good preparation for this weekend's Fed Cup tie in which she and her team-mates will face the USA's mighty Williams sisters.