Wimbledon: Jan-Lennard Struff and his bad luck in the draw - "What does the tennis god have against Warsteiner?"
Jan-Lennard Struff is the unlucky draw of the younger tennis days. In Wimbedon he and Daniil Medvedev have a tough start right away - but also good memories of the last duel.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit:
Jun 28, 2021, 11:58 pm
There were only a few eyewitnesses when Jan-Lennard Struff recently performed his job as the drawing officer for the ATP 500 spectacle in the press center in Halle. A few words about the unadorned ceremony fell from the officials present, then Struff pulled the very first number from the lottery pot. It was the 13th Struff thought for a moment, then it was clear: "13, that's me." And it was also clear: Struff, the Sauerlander who was not exactly kissed by luck, had the next big chunk to start a tournament dished up himself, the top seeded Daniil Medvedev, number 2 in the world rankings.
Struff is not one who struggles with his fate. At the lawn games in East Westphalia he won against Medvedev , even if he “is a real edge, a hammer guy.” And what can I say: If the tournament of tournaments in Wimbledon starts for Struff on this Tuesday too, then he will be someone See you again on the other side of the net - Medvedev, of course, the weird Russian who, after the first round defeat against the Germans, stepped on the gas in Mallorca the following week and won the first grass field title of his career.
“Mega task, the whole thing,” says Struff before the new encounter, laconic as always. But also as undaunted as always. “I didn't come to London to be eliminated right away,” says the 31-year-old, “I'm going to deliver a real fight.” Meanwhile, his fans in the Internet universe are struggling with fate, a Twitter user asked angrily, “What the tennis god against the Warsteiner. "
Struff: Again and again hammerless ...
Good question. Because Struff, who intervenes on Tuesday just like Alexander Zverev and Bad Homburg winner Angelique Kerber, has actually been abandoned by all draw ghosts for a year and a half. It all started at the Australian Open 2020, the last Grand Slam tournament and major tennis event before the pandemic - when the draw computer slammed a certain Novak Djokovic in the head of the 1.93-meter giant. "Could have been a bit lighter now," remarked Struff sarcastically. He delivered a great match, lost the first set in the tie-break, won the third set, and finally eliminated in four Grand Slam acts. And since then? Again and again awesome for the father of the family, whom everyone just calls "Struffi". Including Djokovic in Melbourne, he now had to face top 20 competition in nine tournaments.
Whining and lamenting about the evil whims of fate is not Struff's thing, however. Quite the opposite: time and again, with courage and courage, with guts and passion, he overthrew the favorites from their pedestals. Behind Alexander Zverev, he has recently established himself as the second German player of international stature, “Struffi”, says Zverev, “is a real grenade. Also a guy you have to love. ”In the national team, Zverev and Struff played together again and again, individually and as a team partner.
Struff pragmatic: "Take things as they come"
Over the past few years, over 30s professional Struff has steadily improved and modernized his playful portfolio with perseverance and the courage to explore under the active guidance of his coach Carsten Arriens. Struff has become a dangerous all-rounder who can be dangerous anytime and anywhere in the world of the traveling circus. The Russian Andrey Rublev, who had the most victories of all ATP players in the last 18 months, also recently felt Struff's qualities: In the French Open opening match at the end of May, the Muscovite left the field defeated, defeated in five long clay court rounds . "You just have to take things as they come," says Struff - and thus also sets the motto against Medvedev, the reigning ATP world champion, in Wimbledon.
At the All England Club, Struff would love to get into the second, tingling week of the tournament. Three years ago he won two memorable five-set matches, also against the Croatian Ivo Karlovic, the "master of the aces", before he then faced Roger Federer in the round of 32. “A monster moment,” says Struff, “Center Court against Roger, that was quite an experience.” Even though he lost in three sets against the maestro, the eight-time champion. Struff still has a lot to do, this late-calling giant with the real punch and the winning mind. He wants to win a “bigger tournament” sooner or later. And soon to be able to play a good game in singles and doubles in Tokyo. At the side of his friend Zverev, there could be a surprise in there.
Here the single tableau in Wimbledon
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