tennis
Struff before the semifinals in Stuttgart: “Play good tennis”
Meets Hubert Hurkacz from Poland in the semifinals of the Stuttgart lawn tournament: Jan-Lennard Struff. photo
© Marijan Murat/dpa
In Stuttgart, Jan-Lennard Struff is separated by two wins from his first title on the ATP tour. He has good memories of his opponent in the semifinals.
Davis Cup player Jan-Lennard Struff sees himself in one of the best phases of his tennis career. When asked if he was currently playing the best tennis of his life, the 33-year-old replied after reaching the semi-finals in Stuttgart: “I feel good, I’ve been playing good tennis for the last few months, and that’s why you could almost sign it. I had 2019 also a super phase. But it’s definitely up there at the front.”
With the 6: 4, 7: 5 against the Frenchman Richard Gasquet, Struff played his way into the semi-finals of the Stuttgart lawn tournament like in 2019. On Saturday (not before 3.30 p.m./ServusTV and Sky) the Sauerland fights against the Polish world number 14. Hubert Hurkacz for a place in the final. Struff has not yet won a title on the ATP tour.
Struff: “Hurkacz is a great player”
“Of course I want to go into the final. It would be stupid if not,” said Madrid finalist Struff, who confirmed his strong form of the clay court season on grass: “It would be presumptuous to say that I really want to win the title. I I’ve got a hard board tomorrow. That’s where the focus goes. Anything else is secondary for now.”
Struff won the only comparison with Hurkacz so far. However, the match was almost seven years ago, and Struff saved the German Davis Cup team from remaining in the first-class world group. “You don’t forget games like that,” said Struff.
Hurkacz has since developed into an “outstanding” player. “We don’t have to talk much about how well he can play,” said the Warsteiner: “He serves brutally, it’s sometimes cannons that fly in. He’s a great player.” The Pole has already proven that lawn tennis suits him: two years ago Hurkacz was in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, last year he won the title in Halle, Westphalia.