Tennis - Struff sets best Wimbledon result
Davis Cup player Jan-Lennard Struff is the first German tennis player to reach the third round at Wimbledon. The Warsteiner defeated Chinese Zhang Zhizhen 5:7, 6:3, 7:6 (7:1), 7:6 (10:8) in his second appearance at the London Church Road.
Struff, who is 34 years old, set his best result at the Grass-Court Classic from the years 2018 and 2019. In the fight for a place in the quarterfinals, Struff will face Russian world number five Daniil Medvedev, against whom he lost at Wimbledon in 2021 in the first round.
Rain disrupts the schedule
On a rainy day with numerous rescheduled and postponed matches, Struff had an unfortunate moment in the first set against the 32nd seeded Chinese player at a critical time in his own service game. He lost the set 5-6 and had to give up the first set.
After the setback and a rain delay, however, the German turned the match around against his opponent, who had to undergo treatment in the meantime. Struff was already a break ahead in the fourth set, but gave up the lead again. In the tiebreak, he held on with three set points against himself.
Niemeier waits in vain
Jule Niemeier played her rescheduled first-round match against Swiss Viktorija Golubic and won with a surprising 6:2, 6:1.
The second-round match between Daniel Altmaier and Canadian Denis Shapovalov was cancelled in the evening and is expected to be played on Thursday.
Jan-Lennard Struff's tennis skills have earned him a spot in the International Tennis Federation's prestigious Grand Slam tournament, Wimbledon, held in London, England. Despite facing Chinese opponent Zhang Zhizhen in his second appearance at the famous Church Road, Struff hails from Germany's Sauerland region.
His journey to the third round at Wimbledon includes a thrilling victory over Zhang, with scores of 5:7, 6:3, 7:6 (7:1), 7:6 (10:8), securing his spot against Russian opponent Daniil Medvedev, currently ranked fifth in the world.
Sadly, rain brought disruptions to the tournament, causing delays and rescheduling several matches, including Struff's defeat in the first set against Zhang, giving Zhang the upper hand with a 5-6 score.
However, Struff managed to recover from this setback, turning the tide in his favor against Zhang, who required medical treatment during the match. Struff even faced three set points against himself in the fourth-set tiebreak but managed to hold on and win the match.
Fellow German player Jule Niemeier also experienced success at Wimbledon, defeating Swiss opponent Viktorija Golubic in their rescheduled first-round match with scores of 6:2, 6:1.
