In Sports News this Monday: Rosický reported to be side-lined again after first appearance of season; Kováč to hang up boots at end of season; Sáblíková wins 10th successive World Cup title early; and no joy for Czechs in Melbourne doubles.
Injury-dogged Rosický out again after latest comeback
Tomáš Rosický, photo: Miroslav Bureš
Czech national soccer team captain Tomáš Rosický must really feel cursed. The 35-year-old received a standing ovation when he returned after a groin operation for his first appearance of the season for Arsenal, coming on as a 71st minute substitute in an FA Cup game at the weekend. But the midfielder’s bad luck continued when it was reported that he may have picked up a thigh injury during his brief appearance that could keep him out for six weeks or more. Now 35, Rosický has been plagued by injuries over the years and has appeared only 158 times for Arsenal since joining the club a decade ago. Czech fans must now be worrying that the midfield maestro will still be out for the European Championship in France.
Hloušek and Pekhart on the move…
Radoslav Kováč, photo: archive of Sparta Prague
As European football’s transfer deadline approaches, Czech midfielder Adam Hloušek has left Stuttgart for Legie Warsaw. Another occasional Czech international who has never quite made the grade, striker Tomáš Pekhart, has moved from Ingolstadt to AEK Athens.
…while Kováč announces retirement
Meanwhile Sparta Prague’s Radoslav Kováč says he will retire at the end of the season. The 36-year-old defender enjoyed spells at Spartak Moscow and West Ham and made 30 international appearances.
Sáblíková wins World Cup with meeting to spare on dream weekend
Martina Sáblíková, photo: CTK
Speed-skater Martina Sáblíková has had a dream weekend. The 28-year-old won her first ever World Cup race in the 1,500m in Norway’s Stavanger. She also came first in the 3,000m, setting a new personal record. And to cap it all, she won the long track World Cup for the 10th time in a row without even needing to compete in the last meeting of the season in March. Sáblíková told journalists that she was so overjoyed at her time in the 3,000m that she didn’t at first register that she had the World Cup title in the bag.
Close but no titles for Czechs at Australian Open
Radek Štěpánek, Daniel Nestor, photo: CTK
Three Czechs made it to finals at tennis Australian Open, but all three left Melbourne empty-handed. Veteran Radek Štěpánek failed to pick up his second title at the Grand Slam tournament when he and Daniel Nestor of Canada were beaten by the UK-Brazilian duo of Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. And Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká lost their doubles final to the Swiss-Indian pairing of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza.
Berdych and Kvitová slide in rankings after Melbourne
The leading Czech singles players Tomáš Berdych and Petra Kvitová slipped in the world rankings after the Australian Open. After his exit in the quarter-finals Berdych is now eighth in the world. Kvitová, who suffered a shock second round defeat, has fallen to ninth.
Captain Jágr on losing side in NHL All-Star Game
Jaromír Jágr, photo: CTK
Czech star Jaromír Jágr captained an Atlantic Division selection in the final of the NHL All-Star Game against the Pacific Division. Jágr had scored in a semi-final match versus the Metropolitan Division but missed out on a share of the million-dollar prize pool as the Pacific Division All-Stars won Sunday’s final 1:0.
