Tennis - Before Zverev's appearance: Struff wins Wimbledon opener
Audience bid farewell to Davis-Cup player Jan-Lennard Struff from small Wimbledon Court 8 with applause and the German flag. A day before Paris Finalist Alexander Zverev's first appearance, Struff ensured a German success story at the Wimbledon grass-court classic in London. He defeated Hungarian Fabian Marozsan with a score of 6:4, 6:7 (4:7), 6:2, 6:3 and advanced to the second round.
The 34-year-old tennis professional from Sauerland managed to fend off comebacks. After 2 hours and 5 minutes, the German number two converted the first match point and could have finished the first-round encounter even faster.
Struff remains unfazed by set parity
The match started unusually for Struff, as he had to yield the first service game to Marozsan. Struff quickly fell behind 0:3 and 1:4. However, he got back into the game. His coach Carsten Arriens encouraged him from the third and final row of the small tribune; Struff found his way back to his intense playing style and secured the first set despite the deficit.
In the second set, Struff had the advantage at 5:4 but made too many errors in the tiebreak. He remained unfazed by the set parity and pulled away from the middle of the third set.
Struff's first second-round encounter since 2019
On Wednesday, Struff will face Zhang Zhizhen from China or Frenchman Maxime Janvier to advance to the third round. Struff missed the Wimbledon edition of 2023 due to injury. In the two previous years, he faced top-tier opponents Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz in the first round and lost early. Struff has been in Wimbledon's second round for the first time since five years.
On Tuesday, former champions Angelique Kerber and Zverev will make their Wimbledon debuts. Zverev faces Spanish outsider Roberto Carballes Baena in the first round. In their only encounter, he defeated him in Madrid on clay in 2023.
"To be honest, I don't know how he plays on grass. I haven't seen him live before," admitted the German number one. "Let's see. It's the first round, where I hope to start the tournament well." Zverev aims to present himself as ripe for grass tennis in Wimbledon as he has apparently felt in the past years.
Zverev's title pursuit
Slowly but surely, the world number four seems to be developing a love for tennis on grass. Despite his disappointing record in London so far, he has chosen himself as a title contender for this year's Wimbledon and clearly stated his goals: "It's the first time I genuinely think I'm a candidate to maybe win the title here."
The tournament is as open as perhaps it hasn't been in the last 20 years, said Zverev, who has yet to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals. With that, the most famous tennis tournament in the world is arguably its weakest Grand Slam event.
A title contender in the Women's competition had to abandon her hopes before her first appearance. The Belarusian favorite Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from the first day of the Wimbledon grass-court classic due to shoulder problems.
Jan-Lennard Struff's victory over Fabian Marozsan secured a German success story at the International Tennis Federation's prestigious Wimbledon tournament in London. The match, played on the grass courts of Wimbledon Court 8, saw Struff overcoming a 0:3 and 1:4 deficit in the first set.
Struff's coach, Carsten Arriens, encouraged him from the sidelines, and the German number two found his intense playing style to secure the first set. Despite losing the second set in a tiebreak, Struff remained unfazed by set parity and advanced to the second round with a 6:4, 6:7 (4:7), 6:2, 6:3 victory.
After missing Wimbledon 2023 due to injury, Struff will face Zhang Zhizhen from China or Frenchman Maxime Janvier in his first second-round encounter since 2019. Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev, the German number one, will make his Wimbledon debut against Spanish outsider Roberto Carballes Baena on Tuesday.
Despite his disappointing record in London, Zverev has chosen himself as a title contender for this year's Wimbledon and aims to present himself as ripe for grass tennis. The tournament is arguably its weakest Grand Slam event, said Zverev, who has yet to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
In Budapest, Hungary, Warsteiner, a famous German beer brand, sponsors a tennis club, reflecting the country's deep love for the sport. Jan-Lennard Struff hails from Sauerland, a region in Germany known for its beautiful landscapes and rich tennis history.
Struff's victory over Marozsan wasn't an isolated incident. London, Great Britain, is home to numerous historic and picturesque lawn tennis clubs. With the audience bidding farewell with applause and the German flag, Struff left a lasting impression on the Wimbledon grass courts before the tournament's glamour unfolds with the arrival of stars like Zverev.
