ATP tournament in Stuttgart, 1st round, Tuesday, 11.06.2024
The French Open champion has only just been crowned, and the action continues elsewhere on a completely different surface! The fast grass is calling and the fans in Stuttgart are getting ready for some top-class tennis.
While FO finalist Alexander Zverev has withdrawn from the tournament at short notice, the German No. 2 wants to step into the breach. He is heavily favored for round 1, but: In my Cobolli Zverev tip, I’ll tell you why I think the outsider will win at least one set
Winning the title at the BMW Open in Munich, taking sets against Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas and only narrowly losing to both of them, great results at the French Open? No, Jan-Lennard Struff certainly doesn’t have bad memories of the first part of the clay court season!
Although the 34-year-old failed in the 3rd round in Paris, his performances there must of course be seen in relation to his opponents. He beat Roman Andres Burruchaga and Alexander Bublik easily and in quick succession.
Only Alex de Minaur stopped him at 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, but he is also one of the ten best players in the world. All in all, Struff sold himself really well on the red surface, and the title in Munich in particular was celebrated
So he has already won one home match this year, what about a second, Neckar instead of Isar? Sounds tempting, but switching from clay to grass is never easy.
He showed a year ago in the Swabian metropolis that he can also excel on the much faster surface. Struff played his way to the final, losing incredibly bitterly 6-4, 6-7, 6-7 to Frances Tiefoe after taking the lead.
The last time he lost right at the start was in 2018, so it’s certainly not as if the upcoming tournament doesn’t suit him. As Alexander Zverev has withdrawn for personal reasons, he will have to uphold the German colors.
The Warstein native is seeded at number 7, which of course automatically makes him one of the favorites. He opens against Fabio Cobolli, the Italian has already been his opponent twice (but only once in a main draw)
2021 and 2022, the German won, once easily and clearly, the other time very narrowly in three sets. Our bookmakers are of the opinion that we will be dealing with a clear result again this time.
The odds average 1.10 to 5.50, which is a big advantage. Will Struff take some time off on Friday evening to watch the German national team in the opening match?
The European Championship betting providers not only offer the best odds for this and all other matches, but also various free bets. Flavio Cobolli’s team will of course also be at the start.
The Italian is ranked number 50 in the world and is still at the relatively early stages of his career at the age of 22. He is now competing in Stuttgart for the first time and comes with the recommendation of a strong French Open
And this despite having already been eliminated in the 2nd round, but a 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 win against Holger Rune is worthy of all honors. Previously in Geneva, he was also really strong, only losing in the semi-finals to Casper Ruud in three sets.
The 22-year-old has not been knocked out in the first round for four tournaments, and the last time he did so his opponent was Rafael Nadal. Not the worst prerequisites to impress in Stuttgart.
Of course, it is anything but easy for him to switch from the rather slow clay to the lightning-fast grass. The best example: Cobolli has never made it into the main draw at Wimbledon
My Cobolli Struff tip
Jan-Lennard Struff is the big German tournament hope from Stuttgart! After a very, very strong season on clay, the veteran also wants to impress on grass, reaching the final on the Neckar a year ago.
However, I wouldn’t underestimate Flavio Cobolli under any circumstances, as the Italian has achieved really strong results in recent weeks. As the change of surfaces is tough for everyone, I think it will be a relatively close match and I’m betting on it:
Struff won’t win outright against Cobolli!
