The Warstein native put in a composed performance – and now has the chance for a rematch.
Professional tennis player Jan-Lennard Struff has followed Yannick Hanfmann and Daniel Altmaier into the second round of the ATP Masters in Shanghai. The 36-year-old from Warstein defeated Spain’s Martin Landaluce 6-4, 6-4 in the Chinese metropolis and now has the chance for a quick rematch: In the second round, he will face former world number one Daniil Medvedev from Russia, to whom he lost only on Saturday in the round of 16 in Beijing.
Struff is thus the third German to win his opening match in Shanghai. Hanfmann and Altmaier had already progressed to the second round on Wednesday, and they too now face tough challenges. Hanfmann will face Frances Tiafoe (USA/No. 7), whilst Altmaier will play the third seed and US Open finalist Ben Shelton (USA). French Open and US Open winner Alexander Zverev (Hamburg) is also the top seed at the 1000-level tournament and, after receiving a bye in the first round, will face China’s Wu Yibing on Friday.
Struff, ranked 59th in the world, dominated his match against Landaluce from the baseline and proved clinical at the crucial moments. Struff has a poor record of 2–9 against Medvedev. On his way to the Wimbledon quarter-finals this summer, he defeated the Russian in three sets, but in Beijing he recently stood virtually no chance.