Davis Cup player Jan-Lennard Struff has come up with a surprise at the ATP tournament in Tokyo. The 28-year-old from Warstein defeated the top seeded Australian Open finalist Marin Cilic (Croatia) after 2:20 hours with 3:6, 6:4, 7:6 (7:1).
Cilic already had the match two times in his hands: The US Open champ from 2014 made the first break in round three and had the chance to out-foot at 5:4. Struff, however, managed the rebreak at the last moment before he had to give up his serve again, this time even to zero. However, Cilic again did not capitalise on the 6:5 with its own service. In the tiebreak it was a clear thing for the world-56, who celebrated one of his biggest victories.
Struff’s victory over the world number six Cilic was his second success against a top ten player. In 2016, he had won the Masters tournament in Paris against Stan Wawrinka, then number eight in the world, as a qualifier.
In the Tokyo Round of 16 Struff will meet the Frenchman Jeremy Chardy after his coup.
The EInzel Draw from Tokyo