Sports News

In Sports News this Monday: Czech women’s biathlon relay team make World Cup podium for first time this season after dramatic finish; Hlaváčková questioned by Tennis Integrity Unit over suspicious betting; Berdych to face Federer for place in semis in Melbourne; and Liberec’s Radivojevič equals record seven points in Extraliga game.

Women’s biathlon team reach podium after dramatic relay

Eva Puskarčíková, Lucie Charvátová, Gabriela Soukalová, Veronika Vítková, photo: CTK

The Czech women’s biathlon relay team reached the World Cup podium for the first time this season in Italy’s Anterselva at the weekend. But it wasn’t all smooth going at the South Tyrol resort and few would have bet on the Czechs coming in second at the halfway point in Sunday’s event.

That said, they had got off to a positive start, with Eva Puskarčíková at one point putting them in the lead. But second-up Lucie Charvátová missed the target in her standing position shooting and was forced to do two penalty loops. Charvátová said afterwards that she’d feared she had messed things up for the whole team – and placed her hopes in teammates Gabriela Soukalová and Veronika Vítková.

“I was worried. It really looked like a crowded race, today. Almost nobody got penalty loops and I knew the two I got was an awful lot…But we still had Gabriela and Veronika, who are really strong. I was hoping they could make sixth place perhaps. But they did wonderfully, far better than I expected.”

Exhausted but overjoyed, Vítková described a strong finish that saw the Czechs come only 17 seconds behind winners France.

“I didn’t feel at all well in the second round. I had a bit of a crisis, though I managed to get over it. I finished the standing position shooting not far behind the Russian in second – and I managed to find that last bit of energy to pass her out.”

Hlaváčková questioned by Tennis Integrity Unit over betting

Andrea Hlaváčková and her partner Lukasz Kubot were questioned by the Tennis Integrity Unit in connection with suspicious betting on their mixed doubles defeat to the Spanish pair of Lara Arruabarrena and David Marerro at the Australian Open. The New York Times reported that there was unusually heavy betting on the Czech-Polish pair prior to their win on Sunday. Both duos have denied any wrongdoing.

Berdych must overcome Federer to reach semis in Melbourne again

Tomáš Berdych, photo: CTK

Tomáš Berdych has reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open for the fifth time in a row, after grinding out a 4-6 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-3 win over Spain’s Roberto Bautista on Sunday. If the Czech, seeded sixth, is to make it three semi-final appearances on the trot in Melbourne he will need to overcome third seed Roger Federer on Tuesday.

Strýcová loses to bogey opponent Azarenka

In the women’s draw, Barbora Strýcová bowed out on with a 2-6 4-6 fourth round defeat to Victoria Azarenka. The Czech must be tired of meeting the Belarusian in the Australian Open. Monday’s match was the third year time in succession that Azarenka has sent Strýcová packing down under.

Radivojevič equals Extraliga record of seven points

Branko Radivojevič (left), photo: CTK

Ice hockey player Branko Radivojevič had a game to remember on Sunday. The Slovak forward scored one goal and made no fewer than six assists, thus having a hand in every strike in Liberec’s 7:2 demolition of Karlovy Vary. His seven points equals the Extraliga record. Liberec head the league, 10 points ahead of second-placed Sparta Prague with 39 games played.