Struff surges on ⚡️ @Struffitennis is into the Halle QF's for the first time in 11 appearances after defeating Tsitsipas! #TerraWortmannOpen
2024 Halle Open Round-Up: Matteo Berrettini and Stefanos Tsitsipas suffer shocking upsets
ATPThursday, 20 June 2024 at 19:57
Former Grand Slam runner-ups Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo
Berrettini exited the ATP 500 Halle Open after suffering surprising defeats at
the hands of Marcos Giron and Jan-Lennard Struff.
The Italian had a great debut against Alex Michelsen (7-5,
6-2), but couldn't overcome the American Giron, leaving Halle with only the
main draw of Wimbledon left in the grass swing. Tsitsipas, on the other hand,
fell to an impressive Struff, who seems well-prepared to make a positive impact
on the grass swing. The German, who withdrew from Stuttgart last week, has now
accumulated four consecutive wins on grass.
Berrettini stunned by Giron
Berrettini's high level of play on grass each season had
him as a clear favorite, especially after reaching the final of the Nottingham
Open last week (losing to Jack Draper). Giron, however, had the credentials to
challenge the former Wimbledon runner-up, having surprised fourth seed Andrey
Rublev in straight sets in the first round.
The first set began with an early break in favor of the
Italian, quickly establishing a 3-0 lead. With dominant service games from both
players, there were no further breaks, and Berrettini took the set 6-3, winning
83% of his service points compared to 71% for Giron.
In the second set, Berrettini couldn't maintain the same
service effectiveness, while Giron elevated his game. The American appeared
more secure in his service games, and the set remained even without break
points until the 10th game. Giron seized a couple of break opportunities and
took the set 6-4 to level the match.
The third set provided more opportunities for both players,
with each having two break points and several tense games. Giron capitalized on
his second break point to lead 4-2 and, without giving Berrettini any chances
on his serve, closed out the match with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory, advancing to
the quarterfinals of the Halle Open. He will now face fifth seed Hubert
Hurkacz, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament.
Matteo Berrettini at 2023 Wimbledon
Tsitsipas falls to Struff
The Greek player had a disappointing second-round exit at
Halle. Tsitsipas likely aimed to play a few more matches before Wimbledon, but
he encountered a superb Jan-Lennard Struff, who showcased his powerful service
game on grass.
In the first set, Struff secured a break in the fifth game,
the only break opportunity of the set, to win 6-4 in 31 minutes. The German
conceded just five points on his serve, making it nearly impossible for
Tsitsipas to find any chances.
Tsitsipas was far from his best, and despite having good
service games, he could do little on return, not managing a single break point
throughout the match. The former world No. 3 won only 21% of his return points.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Tsitsipas
started on serve, but Struff broke in the fifth game and held onto the lead to
secure a 6-4, 6-4 victory in just over an hour. Struff will now face world No.
1 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, who overcame Hungarian Fabian Marozsan.
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