The Czech Republic earned a morale-boosting 10-point win over highly-fancied Australia in the first of two pre-Olympic warm-up matches in Olomouc.

Both teams were without stars on Sunday but it was the Czechs who played the better basketball, earning praise from coach Jan Bobrovsky after their 79-69 triumph.

"I am satisfied with our win. Australia is very strong and you do not win over a team like that every day," Bobrovsky said.

The Czechs, without Romana Hamzova, who was nursing a leg injury, always looked in charge, except for a short period in the second quarter when the Opals ran off 11 unanswered points to take a 27-21 lead.

But the home team hit back strongly just before half-time to take a 38-33 lead.

Good defence by the Czechs early in the third quarter allowed them to stretch their lead to 16 points (61-45) before Australia, without the all-round qualities of Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor, reduced the arrears before the final whistle.

"The result should not have been as close but we lost possession a few times in the closing minutes so Australia were able to trim the lead," said Bobrovsky.

For the Czechs, Zuzi Klimesova and Eva Viteckova had 14 points, while Opals captain Trish Fallon marked her 200th game with 20 points.

The sides meet again on Monday night in Brno before the Opals travel to Heraklion in Greece where Jackson and Taylor will join the team for the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament.