tennis
Tiafoe’s debut at the Stuttgart tennis tournament was successful
Frances Tiafoe won his first match at the grass tournament at Weissenhof. photo
© Mark J. Terrill/AP/dpa
After the early exit for defending champion Berrettini and tennis entertainer Kyrgios, two co-favorites move into the quarter-finals in Stuttgart. Struff wants to follow on Thursday.
US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe made his Stuttgart debut. The American tennis pro won his first match at the grass tournament at the Weissenhof 7:6 (7:2), 6:4 against the up-and-coming Czech Jiri Lehecka and thus made it into the quarter-finals.
The world number 12 was in a good and balanced round of 16. the better player in the tie-break. In the second set he got the only break of the match to make it 5:4.
Tiafoe is third seeded in the pre-season Wimbledon (July 3-16) and will play Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the quarter-finals on Friday.
With problems and after a medical break, co-favorite Hubert Hurkacz also made it into the top eight. The fourth seeded Pole defeated the Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 4:6, 7:6 (7:5), 7:6 (7:5) in the round of 16. At match point, he benefited from a double fault from his opponent. Next up is Hurkacz against Australia’s Christopher O’Connell, who previously defeated Kempen’s Daniel Altmaier.
Struff last German participant
Hurkacz received treatment against Watanuki after losing the first set and left the field for it. He didn’t feel well, said the world number 14. at the winner’s interview on Center Court, without giving any concrete reasons.
Hurkacz drew attention to himself at Wimbledon 2021, among other things, when he defeated Swiss tennis star Roger Federer in the quarterfinals and won the third set 6-0. It was the last match in Federer’s career.
The only remaining German participant in Stuttgart, Jan-Lennard Struff, will fight the American Tommy Paul on Thursday (3 p.m. / ServusTV and Sky) to reach the quarter-finals. French Open semi-finalist Alexander Zverev had canceled the tournament, which was worth 795,730 euros, because of a slight thigh strain.