Sports News

Krejčíková and Siniaková named best women’s doubles team; mixed fortunes for Czechs as WTA Finals begin; Slavia extends lead at head of table as Plzeň prepares for big game against Real; and Czech racehorse achieves landmark success at Ascot.

Krejčíková and Siniaková named best women’s doubles team

Kateřina Siniaková, photo: Vojtěch Man / Czech Radio

The Czech duo Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková, who lead the WTA doubles rankings, have been proclaimed the Doubles Team of the Year by the WTA after becoming the first pair in 15 years to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back. They were also the first team to qualify for the ongoing WTA Finals in Singapore.

Mixed fortunes for Czechs as WTA Finals begin

Karolína Plíšková, photo: ČTK/AP/Vincent Thian

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the two Czech singles players who are also at the WTA Finals had mixed results. Petra Kvitová, who is currently the Czech number one, lost to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6:3 6:3.

Fellow Czech Karolína Plíšková, who managed to scrape into the WTA Finals as world number eight, beat the current title holder Caroline Wozniacki, 6:2 6:4 in the opening game at Singapore. She shared her feelings on the game after the win.

“It was incredible how well I held my service. I managed to defend all 10 of Wozniacki’s break points. She is good at returns, so I often had to fight for it. I haven’t played or beaten a player as good as that in a long time. I didn’t feel at peak performance during the game, but solid. I had the game under control.”

Football: Slavia extends lead at head of the table as Plzeň prepares for big game against Real

Liberec - Slavia Prague, photo: ČTK/Radek Petrášek

In the Czech football league Slavia Prague managed to extend its lead at the head of the table by two points after winning 1:0 at Liberec. Slavia went into the lead after striker Miroslav Stoch, scored from a penalty in the 3rd minute.

Last year’s champions Plzeň, who have been competing with Slavia for first spot, only managed to draw 2:2 with Bohemians. However, the team’s manager, Pavel Vrba, is likely more focused on the upcoming Champions League match on Tuesday, as his team is to play Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Having lost three of their first nine league games, Real is currently seventh in the Spanish league. Asked about whether this lack of form could be a sign of hope for the Czech side, Mr. Vrba seemed cautious.

“Real is one of the greatest teams in the world and still has the biggest name. So any short term hiccups don’t really mean much“.

On the opposite end of the league table Prague’s Dukla, which has been celebrating the 70th anniversary since its foundation, managed to rise one spot from bottom after a 1:0 win at home over Opava.

Czech racehorse achieves a landmark success at Ascot

After trailing behind the pack for much of the race, Czech racehorse Subway Dancer suddenly went into a great sprint in the final moments of the race to finish in third place at the two-kilometre Champions Stakes race at Ascot in the UK. The six-year-old bay horse belongs to Czech businessman Martin Wolf and the finish earned him over four million crowns in prize money.