Jiri Lehecka Survives Comeback to Reach Dubai Round of 16, Draws Pablo Carreno Busta
jiri lehecka rallied from a set down to beat Luca Nardi 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and advance to the round of 16 at the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships. The victory sets up a meeting with qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta, who reached the same stage after upsetting Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-4 at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre.
Development details — Jiri Lehecka advances to round of 16
Lehecka, seeded eighth and ranked No. 24, recovered after dropping the first set to the Italian lucky loser, turning the match around with back-to-back set wins to close out 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. The comeback win propelled him into the tournament’s second weekend at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre in Dubai, where the draw now pairs him with Pablo Carreno Busta.
Carreno Busta reached the round of 16 as a qualifier, defeating Denis Shapovalov in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. There is no previous head-to-head between Lehecka and Carreno Busta, leaving the upcoming match without a prior matchup to indicate how their styles will interact.
Context and escalation
jiri lehecka arrives in Dubai on the back of a quarterfinal run in Doha, a result characterized as a timely rebound after a disrupted start to the season. Earlier exits in Melbourne and Brisbane—one of which ended with a retirement due to an ankle issue—had interrupted his opening months, but his recent Doha performance suggested regained momentum.
Lehecka’s 2025 season figures cited for context show sustained high-level outputs: 486 aces, a 76% rate of first-serve points won and a 42% break-point conversion rate. Those numbers underline the serve-dominant foundation and clutch conversion that have powered his deeper runs, including a US Open quarterfinal, a Brisbane title and multiple ATP finals during the previous season.
Immediate impact
The immediate consequence of Lehecka’s comeback is a higher-stakes showdown in the round of 16 with a veteran qualifier who has already dispatched a top opponent. Carreno Busta’s upset over Shapovalov—the 6-2, 6-4 scoreline—demonstrates his capacity to threaten higher-ranked players in Dubai, while Lehecka’s ability to grind through a three-set match will be tested against that momentum.
Match officials will stage the contest at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre, with television coverage listed on networks including Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Tennis Channel in the United States. The pairing alters the tournament’s competitive map by removing a straightforward seed-versus-loser path and replacing it with an encounter between a seeded contender and an in-form qualifier.
What makes this notable is the contrast in recent trajectories: Carreno Busta has just recorded a high-profile upset to reach this stage, while Lehecka has had to demonstrate resilience to recover from early-season setbacks and an in-match deficit to keep his seeded status alive.
Forward outlook
The confirmed next milestone is the round of 16 meeting between Lehecka and Carreno Busta at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre. The winner will progress to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships. Lehecka’s recent Doha quarterfinal and his 2025 season metrics provide tangible indicators of the tools he will bring: a heavy serve, strong first-serve point-winning percentage and efficient break-point conversion. Conversely, Carreno Busta’s straight-set defeat of Shapovalov signals confidence and match sharpness that could neutralize those advantages.
Officials and broadcasters have scheduled coverage for the tournament’s latter stages on the listed networks, and the outcome of the Lehecka–Carreno Busta contest will determine which player advances into the final eight in Dubai.
