Alexander Zverev fails after a long fight in the round of 16 in Monte Carlo. Jan-Lennard Struff, on the other hand, celebrates a special victory.
Tennis professional Alexander Zverev was eliminated from the ATP tournament in Monte Carlo in the round of 16. The 25-year-old lost to world number five Daniil Medvedev from Russia after more than three hours 6: 3, 5: 7, 6: 7 (7: 9)
It was the first real endurance test of this clay court season for Zverev. Jan-Lennard Struff surprisingly reached the quarter-finals in the afternoon.
The world number one Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, also had to say goodbye to the tournament. The Serb lost in the round of 16 against 21-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6: 4, 5: 7, 4: 6.
Struff with respectable success
Struff had managed the surprise in the afternoon. The 32-year-old Warsteiner defeated the fourth in the world rankings, Casper Ruud from Norway, with a strong performance 6:1, 7:6 (8:6). Struff used his fourth match ball after 1:43 hours and took his opponent’s serve four times. “It was brutal. I played unbelievable tennis up to 6: 1, 5: 2. And then unfortunately I got a bit nervous,” said Struff. “I was thinking about finishing and winning. That triggered something in me.”
He had already fought his way through qualification at the Masters 1000 tournament. In the round of the top eight he meets the world number six Andrei Rublev from Russia this Friday. Struff has been in the round of 16 twice in his career so far at the clay court event, but had to admit defeat each time. At a Masters 1000 tournament, he reached the quarterfinals for the second time. “It’s something very special for me,” said Struff. (dpa)