Jan Hájek (tennis)
Encyclopedia
Jan Hájek is a male professional tennis player from the Czech Republic
. He is right-handed with a double handed backhand. He reached his highest singles ATP
-ranking on November 6, 2006, when he reached world number 71.
Hájek turned professional in 2000 and won his first Futures event in Negril
of the same year defeating Johan Ortegren in the final. Between 2000 and 2003 Hájek played primarily on the Futures circuit, then after that he played some Challenger
events as well as the Futures tournaments. At the end of 2005 he had won 8 Futures titles all on clay, which is his best surface.
2006 was the breakthrough season for Hájek, as he started the year ranked at 352 and then finished the season ranked at 76th in the world. Hájek won his first challenger in Barletta
as a qualifier easily defeating Stefano Galvani
6-2 6-1 in the final. In May Hájek qualified for the challenger in Prague
before losing to compatriot Robin Vik
in the final. Hájek won three more Challengers
during the year including two major ones in Prostějov
where he got a retirement victory over Tomáš Berdych
and Braunschweig
defeated Fernando Vicente
in straight sets. He won the Poznań
Challenger without losing a set. In addition to the three Challenger titles, Hájek made his debut at Grand Slam level where he defeated Lukáš Dlouhý
in straight sets before losing to Fernando González
.
Hájek was unable to follow up the previously successful year in 2007, but he achieved his best result at Grand Slam level, where he made the third round at Roland Garros where he defeated Thomas Johansson
and Bohdan Ulihrach
before retiring against Marcos Baghdatis
with a shoulder injury. Since then Hájek has had injury problems with the shoulder and problems with his heart.
At the beginning of 2009 Hájek started the year ranked at 474 and has been playing on the Challenger circuit and he has been playing qualifications and after qualifying for the main draw in Athens
he lost in the semi finals to Rui Machado
. Hájek won the Ostrava
Challenger after qualifying defeating Ivan Dodig
7-5 6-1. He repeated his 2006 victory in Prostějov
this time as a qualifier defeating Belgian Steve Darcis
in the final and former top 10 player Ivan Ljubičić
in the quarter finals. Hájek won his third challenger of the year in Freudenstadt
defeating Laurent Recouderc
in the final. He also made his debut in the Czech Davis Cup team in the semi final tie against Croatia
where he defeated Roko Karanušić
and also played in the final losing to Rafael Nadal
. Hájek has a 1-2 record in Davis Cup singles with none of these matches being a live rubber.
After ending the 2009 season ranked at 103. In 2010 Hájek made a return to the Grand Slam arena at the Australian Open
defeating Robby Ginepri
before losing to Mikhail Youzhny
. He also made his first quarter final on the ATP at Munich
losing to Youzhny again. Hájek became the first man to win the Prostějov
Challenger three times after Radek Štěpánek
had to retire from the final due to illness
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. He is right-handed with a double handed backhand. He reached his highest singles ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
-ranking on November 6, 2006, when he reached world number 71.
Hájek turned professional in 2000 and won his first Futures event in Negril
Negril
Negril is a small but widely dispersed beach resort town located across parts of two Jamaican parishes of Westmoreland and Hanover. Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in Jamaica, located on the south side of the island...
of the same year defeating Johan Ortegren in the final. Between 2000 and 2003 Hájek played primarily on the Futures circuit, then after that he played some Challenger
ATP Challenger Series
The ATP Challenger Tour, known until the end of 2008 as the ATP Challenger Series, is a series of international men's professional tennis tournaments...
events as well as the Futures tournaments. At the end of 2005 he had won 8 Futures titles all on clay, which is his best surface.
2006 was the breakthrough season for Hájek, as he started the year ranked at 352 and then finished the season ranked at 76th in the world. Hájek won his first challenger in Barletta
Barletta
Barletta is a city and comune located in the north of Apulia in south eastern Italy. Its current population is 94,140.It is famous for the Colossus of Barletta, a bronze statue, representing a Roman Emperor...
as a qualifier easily defeating Stefano Galvani
Stefano Galvani
Stefano Galvani is a professional male tennis player from Italy.- 2008 :In June, Galvani qualified in singles for the 2008 Wimbledon, beating #222 Yeu-Tzuoo Wang, #148 Andrey Golubev, and #197 Ilija Bozoljac....
6-2 6-1 in the final. In May Hájek qualified for the challenger in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
before losing to compatriot Robin Vik
Robin Vik
Robin Vik is a Czech professional tennis player.Vik turned professional in 1995 and he reached a career high ranking of 57 in January 2006.Now he is on 667 place...
in the final. Hájek won three more Challengers
ATP Challenger Series
The ATP Challenger Tour, known until the end of 2008 as the ATP Challenger Series, is a series of international men's professional tennis tournaments...
during the year including two major ones in Prostějov
Prostejov
Prostějov is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. Today the city is known for its fashion industry and special military forces based there....
where he got a retirement victory over Tomáš Berdych
Tomáš Berdych
Tomáš Berdych is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. His most notable achievements are reaching the final of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, and the semifinals of the 2010 French Open. He defeated the Croatian player Ivan Ljubičić in five sets to win the Paris Masters in 2005...
and Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
defeated Fernando Vicente
Fernando Vicente
Fernando Vicente Fibla is a tennis player from Spain, who turned professional in 1996. He reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on 12 June 2000, when he became the World Number 29.-Singles: 6 :Wins...
in straight sets. He won the Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
Challenger without losing a set. In addition to the three Challenger titles, Hájek made his debut at Grand Slam level where he defeated Lukáš Dlouhý
Lukáš Dlouhý
Lukáš Dlouhý is a professional Czech tennis player on the ATP Tour. A doubles specialist, Dlouhý reached a career-high ranking of World Number 5 on June 22, 2009.-2006-2008:...
in straight sets before losing to Fernando González
Fernando González
----Fernando Francisco González Ciuffardi is a professional tennis player from Chile. He is known for having one of the hardest forehands on the circuit. In Spanish he is called El Bombardero de La Reina and Mano de Piedra...
.
Hájek was unable to follow up the previously successful year in 2007, but he achieved his best result at Grand Slam level, where he made the third round at Roland Garros where he defeated Thomas Johansson
Thomas Johansson
Karl Thomas Conny Johansson , commonly known as Thomas Johansson, is a former Swedish professional tennis player. He is a former Australian Open singles champion and Olympic silver medalist in doubles.-Junior career:...
and Bohdan Ulihrach
Bohdan Ulihrach
Bohdan Ulihrach is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Ulihrach turned professional in 1993. He won his first top-level singles title in July 1995 at Prague, where he defeated Javier Sánchez in the final...
before retiring against Marcos Baghdatis
Marcos Baghdatis
At the French Open, Baghdatis lost in the second round in five sets to Frenchman Julien Benneteau, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6.At Wimbledon, Baghdatis defeated British player Andy Murray in the fourth round in straight sets. In the quarterfinals, Baghdatis beat the 2002 champion and former world no. 1...
with a shoulder injury. Since then Hájek has had injury problems with the shoulder and problems with his heart.
At the beginning of 2009 Hájek started the year ranked at 474 and has been playing on the Challenger circuit and he has been playing qualifications and after qualifying for the main draw in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
he lost in the semi finals to Rui Machado
Rui Machado
Rui Machado is a Portuguese professional tennis player that competes in the ATP World Tour. In October 2011, he achieved he achieved a career-high singles world ranking no. 59, the highest ranking a Portuguese player has ever held.- Early life :At the age of six, Machado was first introduced to...
. Hájek won the Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
Challenger after qualifying defeating Ivan Dodig
Ivan Dodig
Ivan Dodig is a Croatian tennis player. His career-high rank ATP singles ranking is No. 32 and his best doubles rank is No. 129.-2010:...
7-5 6-1. He repeated his 2006 victory in Prostějov
Prostejov
Prostějov is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. Today the city is known for its fashion industry and special military forces based there....
this time as a qualifier defeating Belgian Steve Darcis
Steve Darcis
Steve Darcis is a male professional tennis player. He achieved his career high ranking of #44 on 12 May 2008.-2007:...
in the final and former top 10 player Ivan Ljubičić
Ivan Ljubicic
----Ivan Ljubičić is a Croatian tennis player born in Bosnia and Herzegovina . His career-high ATP ranking to date has been no. 3, and he stands at no. 37....
in the quarter finals. Hájek won his third challenger of the year in Freudenstadt
Freudenstadt
Freudenstadt is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is capital of the district Freudenstadt. The closest population centres are Offenburg to the west and Tübingen to the east ....
defeating Laurent Recouderc
Laurent Recouderc
Laurent Recouderc born July 10, 1984 in Toulouse, France, is a French professional tennis player.-Career:Recouderc spent the first years of his career on the Junior Circuit, beating players like Tomáš Berdych, Robin Söderling, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga...
in the final. He also made his debut in the Czech Davis Cup team in the semi final tie against Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
where he defeated Roko Karanušić
Roko Karanušic
Roko Karanušić is a Croatian professional tennis player. He turned pro in 2000, and his career high was on February 2, 2009, when he reached No. 88 in the ATP rankings.-Singles Titles:...
and also played in the final losing to Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
. Hájek has a 1-2 record in Davis Cup singles with none of these matches being a live rubber.
After ending the 2009 season ranked at 103. In 2010 Hájek made a return to the Grand Slam arena at the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
defeating Robby Ginepri
Robby Ginepri
Robert Louis Ginepri is an American professional tennis player.-Early life:Robby Ginepri is of Luxembourgish ancestry....
before losing to Mikhail Youzhny
Mikhail Youzhny
Mikhail Mikhailovich Youzhny , is a professional Russian tennis player, noted for his consistency and all-court play style. He has been coached by Boris Sobkin for 17 years....
. He also made his first quarter final on the ATP at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
losing to Youzhny again. Hájek became the first man to win the Prostějov
UniCredit Czech Open
The UniCredit Czech Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the Prostějov Tennis Complex in Prostějov, Czech Republic, since 1994.-Singles:-Doubles:-External...
Challenger three times after Radek Štěpánek
Radek Štepánek
Radek Štěpánek is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Štěpánek turned professional in 1997. He started on tour as a doubles specialist, winning 12 ATP titles. Since 2002, Štěpánek has focused on being a better singles player while still playing top-level doubles...
had to retire from the final due to illness
Singles titles
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (0) |
| Challengers (8) |
| Futures (9) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | 2000 |  NegrilNegril Negril is a small but widely dispersed beach resort town located across parts of two Jamaican parishes of Westmoreland and Hanover. Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in Jamaica, located on the south side of the island... |
Clay |  Johan Ortegren |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 2. | 2001 |  Spišská Nová Ves |
Clay | Juraj Hasko |
6–4, 6–7(2), 7–5 |
| 3. | 2002 |  SopotSopot Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000.... |
Clay | Mariusz Fyrstenberg Mariusz Fyrstenberg Mariusz Fyrstenberg is a left-handed Polish professional tennis player whose speciality is in doubles. His current partner is Marcin Matkowski; they have been playing together since 2003.... |
6–3, 1–6, 6–2 |
| 4. | 2002 | Nové Zámky Nové Zámky Nové Zámky is a town in southwestern Slovakia.-Geography:The town is located on the Danubian Lowland, on the Nitra River, at an altitude of 119 metres. It is located around 100 km from Bratislava and around 25 km from the Hungarian border. It is a road and railway hub of southern... |
Clay | Ladislav Švarc |
6–1, 6–2 |
| 5. | 2002 | Poprad Poprad Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is... |
Clay |  David Novak |
6–1, 6–4 |
| 6. | 2003 |  Cala Ratjada |
Clay | Mariano Albert-Ferrando |
4–2, RET |
| 7. | 2005 | Jablonec nad Nisou Jablonec nad Nisou Jablonec nad Nisou is a town in northern Bohemia, the second largest town of the Liberec Region. It is known as a mountain resort in the Jizera Mountains, an education centre, and a centre of world-production of glass and jewellery... |
Clay | Tomas Jecminek |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 8. | 2005 | Frýdlant nad Ostravicí |
Hard | Lukáš Lacko Lukáš Lacko Lukáš Lacko is a professional Slovak tennis player. His highest ATP singles ranking was 60, which he reached on February 22, 2010. His career high doubles ranking was 213 on November 30, 2009.- Tennis career :... |
1–6, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 9. | 2006 |  BarlettaOpen Barletta - Città della Disfida - Trofeo Angel Devil The Open Barletta Trofeo Dimiccoli & Boraccino is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the Circolo Tennis Barletta in Barletta, Italy, since... |
Clay | Stefano Galvani Stefano Galvani Stefano Galvani is a professional male tennis player from Italy.- 2008 :In June, Galvani qualified in singles for the 2008 Wimbledon, beating #222 Yeu-Tzuoo Wang, #148 Andrey Golubev, and #197 Ilija Bozoljac.... |
6–2, 6–1 |
| 10. | 2006 | Prostějov UniCredit Czech Open The UniCredit Czech Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the Prostějov Tennis Complex in Prostějov, Czech Republic, since 1994.-Singles:-Doubles:-External... |
Clay | Dominik Hrbatý Dominik Hrbatý Dominik Hrbatý is a retired professional tennis player from Slovakia.-Personal life:Hrbatý was born on 4 January 1978 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. His father was an architecture engineer and his younger brother is an umpire... |
6–3, 5–7, 6–2 |
| 11. | 2006 |  BraunschweigNord LB Open The Sparkassen Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the Braunschweiger Tennis und Hockey Club in Braunschweig, Germany, since... |
Clay | Fernando Vicente Fernando Vicente Fernando Vicente Fibla is a tennis player from Spain, who turned professional in 1996. He reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on 12 June 2000, when he became the World Number 29.-Singles: 6 :Wins... |
6–1, 6–3 |
| 12. | 2006 | Poznań Porsche Open The Poznań Porsche Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the Korty tenisowe T.S. Olimpia in Poznań, Poland, since 2004.-Singles:-Doubles:-External links:**... |
Clay |  Ilija BozoljacIlija Bozoljac Ilija Bozoljac or Ilia Bozoljac is a professional male tennis player from Serbia.... |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 13. | 2008 |  PortoPorto Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes... |
Clay | Dušan Lojda Dušan Lojda Dušan Lojda was the 2006 juniors US Open champion for tennis.However, he has not made his breakthrough on the adult tour yet. He broke into the top 300 in May 2007 but fell out after a week.... |
6–0, 7–6(2) |
| 14. | 2009 | Ostrava Prosperita Open The Prosperita Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually in Ostrava, Czech Republic, since 2004. In 2004, the tournament was still called Ispat... |
Clay |  Ivan DodigIvan Dodig Ivan Dodig is a Croatian tennis player. His career-high rank ATP singles ranking is No. 32 and his best doubles rank is No. 129.-2010:... |
7–5, 6–1 |
| 15. | 2009 | Prostějov UniCredit Czech Open The UniCredit Czech Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the Prostějov Tennis Complex in Prostějov, Czech Republic, since 1994.-Singles:-Doubles:-External... |
Clay |  Steve DarcisSteve Darcis Steve Darcis is a male professional tennis player. He achieved his career high ranking of #44 on 12 May 2008.-2007:... |
6–2, 1–6, 6–4 |
| 16. | 2009 | Freudenstadt Freudenstadt Freudenstadt is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is capital of the district Freudenstadt. The closest population centres are Offenburg to the west and Tübingen to the east .... |
Clay |  Laurent RecoudercLaurent Recouderc Laurent Recouderc born July 10, 1984 in Toulouse, France, is a French professional tennis player.-Career:Recouderc spent the first years of his career on the Junior Circuit, beating players like Tomáš Berdych, Robin Söderling, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga... |
2-6 6-3 7-6 (5) |
| 17. | 2010 | Prostějov UniCredit Czech Open The UniCredit Czech Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the Prostějov Tennis Complex in Prostějov, Czech Republic, since 1994.-Singles:-Doubles:-External... |
Clay | Radek Štěpánek Radek Štepánek Radek Štěpánek is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Štěpánek turned professional in 1997. He started on tour as a doubles specialist, winning 12 ATP titles. Since 2002, Štěpánek has focused on being a better singles player while still playing top-level doubles... |
6–0 RET |
Grand Slam performance timeline
| Tournament | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | SR | W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
1R | 2R 2010 Australian Open – Men's Singles Rafael Nadal was the defending champion, but retired due to a right knee injury trailing 3–6, 6–7, 0–3 in the quarterfinals against Andy Murray.Roger Federer met Andy Murray in the final of this event... |
1R 2011 Australian Open – Men's Singles Roger Federer was the defending champion, but lost in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the tournament by defeating Andy Murray 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 in the final. It was Djokovic's 2nd title at the Australian Open, with this title bearing many resemblances to his title in 2008. Djokovic... |
0 / 3 | 1–3 | |||
| French Open | 3R | 1R 2010 French Open – Men's Singles Roger Federer was the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals to Robin Söderling, which allowed him to make a second-successive final here. This was the first time since the 2004 French Open that Federer did not reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament.Rafael Nadal won his fifth... |
1R 2011 French Open – Men's Singles Rafael Nadal, the defending champion and, after this tournament, six-time winner of this event defended his title by beating long-time rival Roger Federer for his sixth French Open title, tying him with Björn Borg for most all-time in the open era. Notably, the Spaniard played his first ever... |
0 / 3 | 2–3 | |||
| Wimbledon | 1R | 1R 2010 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles The Men's Singles event at the 2010 saw Rafael Nadal, the World No. 1 and 2nd seed, defeat 12th seed Tomáš Berdych 6–3 7–5 6–4 in the final to win his 2nd Wimbledon title, and his 8th Grand Slam title overall.... |
0 / 2 | 0–2 | ||||
| US Open | 2R | 1R 2010 US Open – Men's Singles Juan Martín del Potro was the defending champion, but chose not to participate this year, after undergoing a wrist operation in May and only starting to practice again in August... |
0 / 2 | 1–2 | ||||
| Win–Loss | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0 / 10 | 4–10 |
| Year End Ranking | 76 | 240 | 479 | 103 | 95 |