By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, April 21, 2024
Jan-Lennard Struff saved three set points sparking a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Taylor Fritz to win his first ATP title before roaring home fans in Munich.
Photo credit: Sebastian Widmann/Getty for BMW Open
Final failures had haunted Jan-Lennard Struff in the past.
Staring down three set points to Taylor Fritz in today’s Munich final, Struff was in no mood for consolation prizes.
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Some dreams don’t die: Struff realized his with a stirring revival run.
Struff saved three set points sparking a superb 13-point run to rally past Fritz 7-5, 6-3 and capture his maiden ATP championship before roaring home fans on the red clay of Munich.
"Unbelievable, to do it on home soil is just incredible," Struff said of his maiden title. "I mean, I waited so long.
"I'm 33 years old and playing so long on Tour. It's just amazing feeling to do it here in Germany."
Winless in three prior finals, including two on home soil, the 33-year-old German thumped a smash on championship point and broke into a joyous grin.
The fourth-seeded Struff hit through soggy conditions with stinging strokes. Struff broke Fritz five times and won 18 of 27 points played on the American's second serve.
A powerful comeback caps a week that saw Struff score straight-sets wins over Botic van de Zandschulp, Felix Auger-Aliassime, second-seeded Holger Rune and Fritz.
It's an early birthday gift for Struff, who celebrates his 34th birthday on Thursday. This win was a long time coming for Struff, who is the third oldest ATP first-time champion behind Paolo Lorenzi (34 years, 7 months) and Victor Estrella Burgos (34 years, 6 months).
The 2021 Munich runner-up, Struff is the sixth maiden champion on the ATP Tour this season.
The title comes one year after Struff played through qualifying and knocked off Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the Mutua Madrid Open final where he fell to Carlos Alcaraz.
"I played good tennis this week," Struff said. "I beat very good guys and I'm very happy. Just unbelievably happy I did it today."
Playing his first clay-court final, Fritz put himself in position to take a one-set lead earning three set points on Struff’s serve at 5-4 in the opener.
Undaunted, Struff proceeded to pump out a series of winners erasing all three break points to level after 10 games.
That spirited stand sparked Struff on a superb 13-point surge that saw him stamp successive shutout games to snatch an opening set that had seemed to be in Fritz’s grip just minutes earlier.
Yesterday, Struff tore through 10 straight games thrilling home fans by thrashing two-time defending-champion Holger Rune 6-2, 6-0 to power into his second career Munich final.
When Struff took the lead today, he immediately stretched, making Fritz look powerless at times in the face of his baseline onslaught.
The world No. 28 won eight of the first 10 points of the second set breaking to open and quickly racing out to a 2-0 lead.
Pouncing on a shorter second serve, Stuff scalded a backhand return winner down the line earning the double break for a 5-2 second-set lead.
Though Fritz looked down and out, the man in black came back with a love break for 3-5.
Shrugging it off, Struff slid a backhand strike down the line for championship point.
On this day, nothing would deter Struff from his desired destination.
The 33-year-old German thumped a bounce smash to seal his first ATP title with a wide smile of joy and arms raised in triumph.