Struff's Disappointing Exit from Stuttgart's Grass Tournament
Tennis Player Struff Abandoning Competition in Stuttgart Event - Tennis player Struff departs from the Stuttgart competition
Let's cut to the chase! Jan-Lennard Struff, our German tennis pro, walked away from the Stuttgart grass court with a dropped jaw and a sigh of frustration. His 4-6, 5-7 loss to young gun Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals put a damper on his hopes of moving past his ongoing slump.
"Losing in the second round isn't exactly what I had in mind," Struff confessed after his less-than-stellar performance at the Weissenhof. "I'd prefer to play better in Germany," he added, despite the rocky season filled with premature exits he's been experiencing lately. Despite these setbacks, Struff pulled off a rare win in the opening round - a glimmer of hope in a sea of first-round losses.
Struff's take on his performance: "Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as the first round."
"It wasn't up to par quality-wise compared to the first match. The first game was quite solid. I wanted to build on that," the 35-year-old admitted. "But given my iffy form over the past weeks and months, I'll take the win and the positive momentum and head to Halle." Struff is gearing up for the Grass Season there next week.
Struff came close to reclaiming the title he narrowly missed in Stuttgart two years ago. Going up against favored eighth-seeded Lehecka, Struff had a rocky start and had a tough time keeping his serve in check. A service break at 2-3 decided the first set, and Struff struggled to make a comeback.
In the nail-biting second set, Struff narrowly avoided a tricky situation at 3-3. Despite almost evening things out, Struff dropped his serve for the game-deciding point at 5-6. "I gave it my all," Struf summarized.
Zverev Returns for Grass Season
Tournament favorite Alexander Zverev is set to make his return to the grass courts tomorrow at the €751,630 Wimbledon Warm-Up Tournament. This will be his first appearance since his upset quarterfinal loss at the French Open. A big shocker could be on the cards if 17-year-old Nuremberg native Justin Engel manages to pull off an upset against American Alex Michelsen.
- Jan-Lennard Struff
- Stuttgart
- Grass Season
- Grass Tournament
- Alexander Zverev
- Germany
Fun Fact:
Like the BOSS Open in Stuttgart, playing on grass requires a tactical rethink for success. Struff noted this requires specific focus to adapt to the surface, a worthwhile challenge for poker-faced pros like him.
- Jan-Lennard Struff expressed his disappointment with his performance in the Stuttgart Grass Tournament, particularly his employment policy on the court during the quarterfinals, which led to his loss.
- As he prepares for the Grass Season's next tournament, Struff hopes to improve his on-court strategies, as he acknowledges the need for community policy adjustments when playing on a grass court.
