Karolina Pliskova is the latest Czech to cash in at the U.S. Open

TV cameras almost seem to gravitate toward former star player Ivan Lendl, not a surprise because he coaches Wimbledon champion and No. 2-seeded Andy Murray. And that role means a prominent supporting place in the Players’ Box, a consistent location when it comes to reaction shots.

One of the ESPN commentators joked that Lendl may have even smiled during one of Murray’s matches earlier in the tournament.

The top Czech players, the champions, have found a way of staying involved. The legendary Martina Navratilova is around as an insightful commentator for the Tennis Channel. On Wednesday, former tour player Helena Sukova, a two-time U.S. Open finalist and winner of 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, showed her support for 10^th-seeded Karolina Pliskova, the latest prodigy from the Czech Republic and was in Pliskova’s box for her match.

Of course, prodigy might be stretching it because Pliskova is 24 years old. But the U.S. Open has been her breakthrough major as she beat teenager Ana Konjuh of Croatia, 6-2, 6-2, in the quarterfinals, an impressive follow-up to her fourth-round win over Venus Williams.

Pliskova will face No. 1 Serena Williams in the semifinals Thursday night. They’ve played just once with Williams winning, 7-5, 6-2, at Stanford in 2014.

“To be honest, I don’t care what time it came,” Pliskova said of her career moment(s). “I’m just happy it’s now and that it came. There are people saying that I could be there earlier, but right now I feel great and I feel it’s the right time for having results like this.”

Pliskova said that Navratilova has inspired her the most.

“In the last, let’s say year, I’m meeting her more often before, but we never really talk about tennis,” Pliskova said.

One generation has clearly inspired the next.

“I would say it’s not about (Czech) Federation,” Pliskova said. “I would say every girl is from different city. Every girl has their own coach. We have good talents.

“Maybe the girls which are playing now, they inspired another one. So let’s just see who else is coming up.”

Pliskova is 10 years younger than Serena Williams and remembered watching Serena and Venus on TV as a kid.

“Actually the first memory about the sisters was that they had this thing (beads) in their hair,” she said.“I think it was Venus, and somehow it broke and it (the beads) were everywhere on the court. So that’s the first memory about them. And then obviously they are there so many years and they have so many titles together.”