Who is Lukas Rosol
Lukas Rosol is a Czech professional tennis player who has otherwise had a rather ordinary time on the tennis court. All of that changed when he brought his top-level game to the fore and became the lowest ranked player to beat Rafael Nadal in a major tournament (Wimbledon).
- NDTVSports
- Updated: June 29, 2012 03:20 PM IST
Lukas Rosol is a Czech professional tennis player who has otherwise had a rather ordinary time on the tennis court. All of that changed when he brought his top-level game to the fore and became the lowest ranked player to beat Rafael Nadal in a major tournament (Wimbledon).
26-year-old Rosol is currently ranked 100 in the world but the vast difference in the numbers mattered little as he managed to serve 22 aces to push Nadal on the back-foot and win the second round match that had stretched beyond dusk, on Thursday. That he said after the match that he himself did not expect to win, shows the extent to which the world of tennis was surprised and fans of Nadal, left stunned.
At 6 feet 5 inches, Rosol has mostly had a view of the court from the top but before coming out with all his fury against Nadal, his record did not invite a second glance. Not that the first glance created any impression either. Turning pro in 2004, Rosol had made a first-round exit from Wimbledon in each of his previous five appearances. In fact, the best ranking he has secured in his career is 65 (in August 2011).
Not surprisingly then, there was an immediate buzz about Rosol after his grand win. For someone who has entered mainly lowly Challenger and Futures tournaments, this player from Brno (the second largest city in Czech Republic) has shown that he has the potential to secure the big wins. Coached by former player Slava Dosedel, Rosol now will have to show that fluke is a word that does not exist in his vocabulary.