Alexander Bublik ended Jan-Lennard Struff’s dream of winning the title at the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN. The Kazakh prevailed in an entertaining match after two hours and 14 minutes 6:3, 6:7(4), 6:3.
Both Alexander Bublik and Jan-Lennard Struff started their round of 16 match as fast as the fire brigade, but only the Kazakh could keep up the high level. Jan-Lennard Struff, who would have moved up into the world’s top 20 with a victory, however played too inconsistently. His first service didn’t come as often as it should have and in the baseline duels he faulted too often. Alexander Bublik, on the other hand, varied wonderfully. He built in stops and slowed down the pace again and again. The Kazakh only faltered on his serve to win the set. However, the 25 year-old was able to win the set 6:3 after 34 minutes.
Even though he lost the first set Jan-Lennard Struff he now found his game. And Alexander Bublik could no longer hold up his high level. The Warstein-born won the Kazakh’s first service game and went into the lead 3:0 Alexander Bublik now tried to disturb his opponent’s rhythm again. He even did an underarm serve. And indeed, the Kazakh came back. He won the service, then, a break, then another service win: 3:3. After that both players brought their service through to a tiebreak. Up to the 3:3 it stayed even, and then Jan-Lennard Struff trumped up. A mini-break followed two aces in his own service and at 6:4 the German Davis Cup player converted his second set point to lead 7:6(4).
The preliminary decision was finally made in the sixth game of the deciding set. Jan-Lennard Struff was serving. There, it went up and down from the perspective of both players. Alexander Bublik went into the lead, Jan-Lennard Struff equalized. That went well looking at it from the German’s side until the Kazakh’s seventh break point, then he had finally overcome the break. Alexander Bublik made three double mistakes in his service game and didn’t look good, but he held his service and stayed in the lead 5:2. Even though Jan-Lennard Struff scored to make it 3:5, Alexander Bublik definitely wasn’t losing this match any more.
“It was a hard and tight match, because we have played against each other three times already and we know each other. It’s the first win for me“, Alexander Bublik said after the match. The Kazakh is thus in the round of the last eight in his first participation in Halle. He seemed satisfied and relaxed when leaving the Center Court and waving to the spectators.
