Struff inspires in Madrid
Boris Becker pays homage to the Warsteiner tennis “machine”
05/05/2023 11:44 am
Jan-Lennard Struff is the happiest “lucky loser” in the tennis world. His unusual triumph in Madrid now gives him a very special semi-final duel. For Boris Becker it has long been clear: the Warsteiner is a machine. It could soon be the German number one ahead of Alexander Zverev.
Jan-Lennard Struff couldn’t really grasp his “incredible week” in Madrid even after the biggest win of his career – his prominent fans cheered the unusual success all the more. Alexander Zverev, football world champion Mats Hummels and table tennis star Dimitrij Ovtcharov were happy on Instagram about Struff’s first entry into a Masters semi-final, tennis icon Boris Becker was even over the moon.
“Struffi, you’re a machine!!!”, wrote the three-time Wimbledon winner about the happiest “lucky loser” in the tennis world. After all, Struff had already failed in qualifying in Madrid – and fought his way with irrepressible courage and will through the 7: 6 (7: 5), 5: 7, 6: 3 against the highly favored fifth in the world rankings Stefanos Tsitsipas as a sensational successor to the final.
“Semis for the first time, that’s awesome. I’m just really happy, it’s an incredible week,” said Struff on the Sky microphone – and called it “crazy” that in the semifinals on Friday evening (not before 8 p.m./Sky) Aslan Karazew of all people is waiting.
The Warsteiner had already been eliminated against the Russians last week in qualification, but Struff still moved into the main field due to cancellations – and made excellent use of his unexpected opportunity. “I wouldn’t have believed that a week ago either,” said Struff: “It’s a crazy world sometimes.”
Becker predicts a long journey in Madrid
As only the third lucky loser ever, Struff reached the semi-finals of a Masters event. “I’m just happy to be back,” he said, recalling that a broken toe slowed him down last year and even knocked him out of the top 100 in the world rankings.
Now the 33-year-old, who has only reached a final once on the ATP tour and is still waiting for a tournament victory, is even scratching the top 30, his highest placing so far (29) is within reach. And soon he could even replace Olympic champion Zverev as German number one.
Struff attributed a large part to this resurrection to his team, who loudly supported him in Madrid. “I got full throttle out of the box again, that was world class,” he said after the coup against former French Open finalist Tsitsipas, for manager Corrado Tschabuschnig it was even “the best performance of his career”.
Struff’s trainer Marvin Netuschil was also enthusiastic. “With tennis, he’s dangerous for almost everyone,” he said. He also reckoned his protégé had good chances for the semi-finals, “the greatest moment of his career” – and agrees with Boris Becker. He already predicted that Struff’s incredible journey in Madrid “is far from over”.