title: 1997 Paegas Czech Open – Singles
text: # 1997 Paegas Czech Open – Singles
  
  The 1997 Paegas Czech Open was a men's tennis tournament played on clay in Prague, Czech Republic that was part of the International Series of the 1997 ATP Tour. Yevgeny Kafelnikov was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Marcello Craca.
  
  Cédric Pioline won the title by defeating Bohdan Ulihrach 6–2, 5–7, $7–6^{(7–4)}$ in the final.
  
  ## Seeds
  
  * Yevgeny Kafelnikov (second round)
  * Marcelo Ríos (quarterfinals)
  * Bohdan Ulihrach (final)
  * Cédric Pioline (champion)
  * Javier Sánchez (first round)
  * Arnaud Boetsch (first round)
  * Daniel Vacek (first round)
  * Hicham Arazi (first round)
  
  ## Draw
  
  ### Key
  
  * Q = Qualifier
  * WC = Wild card
  * LL = Lucky loser
  * Alt = Alternate
  * SE = Special exempt
  * PR = Protected ranking
  * ITF = ITF entry
  * JE = Junior exempt
  * w/o = Walkover
  * r = Retired
  * d = Defaulted
  * SR = Special ranking
  
  ### Finals
  
  | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Emilio Benfele Álvarez | 3 | $7^9$ | 1 | | | | | |
  | 4 | Cédric Pioline | 6 | $6^7$ | 6 | | | | | |
  | 4 | Cédric Pioline | 6 | $6^7$ | 6 | 4 | Cédric Pioline | 6 | 5 | $7^7$ |
  | | | | | | 3 | Bohdan Ulihrach | 2 | 7 | $6^4$ |
  | 3 | Bohdan Ulihrach | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Bohdan Ulihrach | 2 | 7 | $6^4$ |
  | | Fabrice Santoro | 4 | 2 | | | | | | |
  
  ### Top half
  
  | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Y Kafelnikov | $7^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | L Roux | $6^4$ | 1 | | 1 | Y Kafelnikov | $6^4$ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | J Golmard | 7 | 4 | 2 | Q | M Craca | $7^7$ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Q | M Craca | 5 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | Q | M Craca | 3 | 5 | | | | | | |
  | | N Lapentti | 6 | $6^3$ | $6^4$ | | | | | | | E Benfele Álvarez | 6 | 7 | | | | | | |
  | | C Costa | 2 | $7^7$ | $7^7$ | | C Costa | 5 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | E Benfele Álvarez | 6 | 6 | | | E Benfele Álvarez | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 8 | H Arazi | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | E Benfele Álvarez | 3 | $7^9$ | 1 |
  | 4 | C Pioline | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | C Pioline | 6 | $6^7$ | 6 |
  | | K Kučera | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | C Pioline | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | WC | M Tabara | 1 | 2 | | | J Krošlák | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | J Krošlák | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | C Pioline | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | |
  | | M Górriz | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | R Fromberg | 4 | 6 | 2 | | | | | |
  | | O Gross | 4 | 1 | | | M Górriz | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | R Fromberg | 6 | 6 | | | R Fromberg | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 5 | J Sánchez | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  
  ### Bottom half
  
  | First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 6 | A Boetsch | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | T Carbonell | 6 | 6 | | | T Carbonell | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
  | Q | A Portas | 6 | 6 | | Q | A Portas | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | T Champion | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | Q | A Portas | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | |
  | | G Blanco | $6^3$ | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | B Ulihrach | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
  | | L Paes | $7^7$ | 3 | 4 | | G Blanco | 4 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | Q | F Squillari | 0 | 3 | | 3 | B Ulihrach | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 3 | B Ulihrach | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | B Ulihrach | 6 | 6 |
  | 7/WC | D Vacek | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | F Santoro | 4 | 2 |
  | | F Santoro | 7 | 6 | | | F Santoro | $7^7$ | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
  | Q | A Pavel | 2 | 5 | | | G Kuerten | $6^4$ | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
  | | G Kuerten | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | F Santoro | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
  | | F Roig | 6 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | 2 | M Ríos | 6 | 3 | 0 | | | | |
  | | S Simian | 4 | 6 | 6 | | S Simian | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | | O Stanoytchev | 4 | 3 | | 2 | M Ríos | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
  | 2 | M Ríos | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
  