Jan Lennard Struff upset Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-4 after 67 minutes with one break in each set at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.
Struff dropped just five points behind his first serve and hit 22 winners to just 5 unforced errors one day after saving a match point to beat Italy’s Luciano Darderi. Struff avenged last month’s defeat against Tsitsipas in Rome. Struff is now tied at 4-4 in his head-to-head matches against Tsitsipas.
Struff did not face any break points. The German player earned his first break in the fifth game of the first set and held serve at deuce to open up a 4-2 lead. He held his final two service games at love to close out the first set 6-4.
Struff earned another break in the fifth game of the second set and sealed the win on his first match point in the 10th game.
Struff won his first tour-level this year at the ATP 250 tournament in Munich last April.
“I was very happy. Yesterday was a tough match. I was sick before and today in the morning. I felt good. I had good connection with the ball straight away and came in very well. I was serving pretty good, playing aggressive style. I am very pleased with the way I played”, said Struff.
Struff has reached the quarter final for the first time in his eleven appearances at the grass ATP 500 tournament in Halle.
Struff set up a quarter final clash against Jannik Sinner, who beat his German rival in his previous two head-to-head matches in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo this year.
Marcos Giron came back from one set down to beat Matteo Berrettini 3-6 6-4 6-3 becoming the first player outside the top 50 to beat the Italian player on grass since world number 53 Gilles Simon at 2018 Wimbledon.
Berrettini earned an early break at love in the second game and held his next service games to win the first set 6-3.
Both players went on serve until the 10th game when Giron converted his second break point to seal the second set 6-4. Berrettini did not convert two break points in the first game of the third set. Giron converted his second break point in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead and served out the win on his first match point.
“Berrettini is unbelievable on grass, with every tournament he plays on grass he practically makes the final or wins it”, said Giron.
Giron set up a quarter final match against Hubert Hurkacz.
