Tennis court activity highlighted. - Struff unable to claim victory in Stuttgart.
Last year's finalist, Jan-Lennard Struff, had to pull out of the grass tennis event in Stuttgart due to ill health. The 34-year-old from Saarland couldn't make it for his quarterfinal clash against American contender Brandon Nakashima, the event organizers revealed before his scheduled appearance.
Struff was the last German left in the competition, which offered a prize purse of 812,235 Euro on the Weissenhof. He'd sailed through the first two rounds with straight-set victories.
The previous year, Struff had put up a dominant display in Stuttgart before losing the title to American tennis pro Frances Tiafoe in the final after missing a match point.
Unfortunate news for the Stuttgart tournament
Tournament director Edwin Weindorfer lamented, "We're sorry that Jan-Lennard Struff can't continue in the tournament due to illness. Wishing him a speedy recovery and much success for the rest of the season." Nakashima makes it to the semifinals without playing a match.
The tournament dealt with the earlier withdrawals of notable players like German heavyweight Alexander Zverev, who felt physically 'unfit' for the event after losing the French Open final. Also, Poles Hubert Hurkacz and Taylor Fritz, other top-20 players, had pulled out at short notice.
It's still unclear how Struff's illness would impact his tournament scheduling. The world number 35 originally had plans to compete in the following week's tournament in Halle and prepare for Wimbledon there. Wimbledon's Grand Slam event on grass starts on July 1.
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Struff missed his quarterfinal match against Nakashima at the ATP International event in Stuttgart, Germany, due to illness, halting his title opportunity on the lawn tennis court in Baden-Württemberg. Despite Struff's withdrawal, the event still featured notable absences, including Zverev, Hurkacz, and Fritz. Brandon Nakashima moved forward to the semifinals without playing a match, leaving the tournament organizers disappointed. Struff, the last German competitor, aimed to use the following week's tournament in Halle as a preparation for Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.
