April 21, (THEWILL)- Jan-Lennard Struff, the 33-year-old German tennis star, has finally lifted his first ATP singles title on Sunday. Competing at the BMW Open in Munich, Struff defeated the higher-ranked American Taylor Fritz in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, to claim the crown.
The fourth-seeded Struff was resilient on the clay courts of the Bavarian capital, outmaneuvering the third-seeded Fritz in a match that lasted 79 minutes. Fritz, ranked 15th in the world and 13 places above Struff, had already amassed seven ATP titles prior to the final showdown.
Struff’s path to glory was paved with notable victories, including a dominant 45-minute triumph over second seed Holger Rune, the defending champion of the past two Munich tournaments. As the last German standing after the quarter-final exit of top seed Alexander Zverev, Struff carried the hopes of the home crowd on his shoulders.
In an emotional post-match celebration, the elated Struff exclaimed: “It’s unbelievable, I’ve been waiting for this for so long. I’m 33 years old. I’ve been here for so long, now I’ve finally done it.” His perseverance paid off as he joined the ranks of German tennis lore, savouring the moment on home soil.
In addition to the prestigious title, Struff’s triumph garnered him a cash prize and a brand-new BMW worth approximately €100,000, along with a traditional pair of Bavarian lederhosen, a witness to the tournament’s deep-rooted cultural ties.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
