ATP Tournament in Stuttgart, Round of 16, Wednesday, 08.06.2022
Will the fans in Stuttgart finally see a German winner once again? The preparations for Wimbledon have begun, so the tournament in the Swabian metropolis is a top opportunity for the tennis elite to test their own form.
Of course, the local heroes are the centre of attention, but they have tough opponents in the round of 16. In my Sonego Struff tip, I reveal why I still see a chance that the match will have an extremely close outcome!
As close as Jan-Lennard Struff came to the final in Stuttgart three years ago, one rightly wonders: why shouldn’t he manage such a successful tournament again in 2022? He beat Denis Shapovalov, Lucas Pouille and Miomir Kecmanovic back then.
In the semifinals, he finally beat the eventual tournament winner Matteo Berrettini very bravely, but was narrowly eliminated 4-6, 5-7. But enough about the past, Struff now wants to make a splash with these results in mind.
He already put the fans’ nerves to the test in the 1st round when he had an intense fight with Marcos Giron. 7-5, 5-7, 7-6, in the end it was the German who triumphed, but knew: That could have gone in the eye!
Struff hit 23 aces and fended off six of nine break points. The thriller took a lot of energy, energy that he will urgently need against Lorenzo Sonego. He has never played the Italian in the main draw before.
This was the first appearance for the 32-year-old after he had to pull out of Miami at the end of March due to injury, he even had to cancel the French Open. For the weeks-long break, the performance was right, but still left enough room for improvement.
His opponent may be clearly better placed in the world rankings, but the odds, also with the new betting providers, are relatively close for this. 1.40 to 2.70 on average, Sonego should know that Struff is anything but easy to beat.
Sonego, seeded sixth, has already made his first appearance in Stuttgart. And it was his very first, because he has never served here on the Neckar before. He didn’t have too much trouble in his first round.
In the end, he won 7-5, 6-2 against Benoit Paire, which was only a bit shaky in the first set. At the French Open a few days ago, Sonego had reached the 3rd round, and despite the elimination, he can be proud of his performance.
He lost, and in a tight five sets, to none other than the eventual finalist Casper Ruud! The 27-year-old can play excellent tournaments – but he can also be eliminated prematurely and surprisingly.
The Italian has won only one title on grass, which is apparently not his favourite surface. A year ago, however, he reached a final in the run-up to Wimbledon, so he should not be underestimated.
My Sonego Struff Tip
Jan-Lennard Struff has come back in Stuttgart with nerves of steel!
Lorenzo Sonego is in a good mood, but not infallible either. Struff enjoys playing in Stuttgart and can be at his best in front of his fans. I therefore trust him to keep the match open for a long time:
We see more than 21.5 games!
