Sports News

In Sports News this Monday: Sweden’s Oskar Henningsson win’s the Czech Republic’s biggest golf tournament, the Moravia Silesia Open; Roman Kreuziger comes agonisingly close to winning cycling’s Classic San Sebastian; Czech tennis player Lucie Hradecká reaches, and loses, the third WTA final of her career; and favourites Slavia and Sparta have both made an unconvincing start to the Czech football league.

Swede Henningsson wins Moravia Silesia Open

Oskar Henningsson, photo: CTK

The Czech Republic’s biggest golf tournament, the Moravia Silesia Open, has been won by Sweden’s Oskar Henningsson. Henningsson, who is 23, fired a final-round 67 to come from three back overnight. The Swede ended 13 under, with Britain’s Sam Little and Steve Webster tied for second. It was the first European Tour title for Henningsson, who won the Tour qualifying school last November. He described his feelings at the clubhouse in Čeladná after Sunday’s triumph.

“It feels great of course. I don’t know what to say really…I’m overwhelmed by it. I had no expectations that I’d win this week and it feels…strange. I’m very, very happy…tired at them moment. I still haven’t realised what I’ve done, but I have a long trip home – ten hours by car – so hopefully I’ll have a lot of time to think my way through it and see what I’ve done.”

There have of course been many great golfers from Sweden. So did Oskar Henningsson have a role model when he was younger?

“I can’t really say that I did. I’m not that interested in golf, except for playing it myself, to be honest. I don’t really have a role model in golf. I can say that one of the sports I admire the most is probably tennis, and Roger Federer – I think he’s amazing. He’s probably the most fantastic athlete there is, so if I have a role model it’s probably him.”

Barredo overtakes Kreuziger to take Classic San Sebastian in dramatic style

Roman Kreuziger came agonisingly close to winning cycling’s Classic San Sebastian on Saturday. He and Spain’s Carlos Barredo had powered away near the finish of the 237-km race, and the Czech found himself in front with only 250 m of the Classic to go. However, Kreuziger – who said he was more worried the two would be caught by a chase group – was outsmarted by Barredo, who feigned tiredness before passing him by with a late sprint to win Spain’s biggest one-day race. Roman Kreuziger, who is 23, recently came ninth in the Tour de France.

Hradecká again misses out on first WTA final win

Lucie Hradecká, photo: CTK

The Czech tennis player Lucie Hradecká has now had reached three WTA singles finals and lost them all. On Sunday Hradecká took on Vera Dushevina of Russia for the Istanbul Cup, but won just a single game as she lost 6-0 6-1 in only 42 minutes. However, Hradecká, who is 24, said despite her poor showing in the final she felt the tournament as a whole had gone well for her.

Favourites Slavia and Sparta sputter into new season

Slavia Prague - Brno, photo: CTK

Last season’s Czech football champions Slavia Prague have gotten off to a poor start this time out. After drawing their first league game, Slavia (whose team now bears little resemblance to last season’s line-up) were beaten 2:0 at Brno on Sunday. Their main rivals for the title Sparta are doing only marginally better: they have two points after two scoreless draws, the latest against Bohemians 1905 on Friday.

Both clubs are in Champions League action this week. On Tuesday, Slavia host Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova after playing out a 0:0 draw in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie. Sparta, meanwhile, can travel to Athens with some confidence following a 3:1 win over Panathinaikos in the first leg in Prague last week. However they are likely to be without defender Tomáš Řepka, who picked up a knock against Bohemians.