Jan-Lennard Struff surprisingly failed in the first round of the ATP tournament in Munich. Oscar Otte had previously beaten number 30 in the world rankings, Argentinian Sebastian Baez, in two sets.
Jan-Lennard Struff did not live up to his role as favorite in the first round match against the US-Swiss Alexander Ritschard. The Warsteiner lost his game against Ritschard, who was significantly worse in the world rankings, in two straight sets.
At 5: 7, 5: 7, the qualifier radiated more calm and was more consistent in his shots. After winning the first set, Ritschard already had the first match ball when the score was 5: 4 in the second set – because the German was still able to fend off. A little later, a mistake by Struff sealed the avoidable defeat.
Struff: “Made stupid mistakes”
“I just didn’t take my chances, I only used one of nine breakballs,” Struff struggled with his own performance after the game on the BR microphone. “I’ve made a lot of bad and stupid decisions.” Ritschard did well, he just didn’t play well enough himself: “It hurts twice because it’s my first tournament back in Germany. It gets on my nerves, no matter what I did last week” (quarter-finals at the ATP Masters in Monte Carlo, ed.).
Oscar Otte: Strong serve as the key to victory
Oscar Otte had previously won his first match in Munich thanks to a strong performance. Last year’s semi-finalist beat the favored Argentinian Sebastian Baez in straight sets 6:3 and 7:5.
In the first set, Otte quickly took the lead, was able to take a break from the Argentine and keep the lead. The 29-year-old was able to serve well and control Baez and the match with strong hits to the baseline.
In the second set, Baez got into the game much better – and Otte made slight mistakes again and again, which didn’t cost him a break, but still brought him to the brink of losing the set. When the score was 4:5, Otte made two double mistakes in a row and Baez then had a set ball. But Otte kept his nerve and equalized to 5:5.
The audience in the back, the tournament victory in view
At this point it was Baez who suddenly made mistake after mistake and thus made the first break in the second set possible for Otte. This is how Otte served to win the match. And he couldn’t take that anymore: four strong serves, four points – getting into the round of 16 was perfect.
The key to success according to Otte: “I had the audience behind me, I got through the service game well,” said the Cologne native in an interview with Bavarian television. Otte’s goals are now clear: “Of course I’d like to go to the final and win the tournament – but first I’d like to think from match to match.” In his next match, the Italian Flavio Cobolli is waiting, who confidently defeated the Australian Jordan Thompson on Monday.
Max Rehberg loses tight match against Fucsovics
The young German hopeful Max Rehberg narrowly lost his first-round duel against the Hungarian Márton Fucsovics (6: 4, 6: 7, 3: 6). The 19-year-old, who started the tournament as a wildcard, had the world No. 76 on the brink of defeat after winning the opener and forcing Fucsovics into a tie-break in the second set. The 31-year-old was able to prevail there 8:6. In the decisive third set, Rehberg had no chance after a break.
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Source: BR24 04/18/2023 – 6:30 p.m