Sports · Tennis · Basel

Struff Ends Djokovic's Basel Run

Jan-Lennard Struff beats Novak Djokovic for the first time in nine meetings and leaves him only the Paris Masters to qualify for the ATP Finals

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Jan-Lennard Struff beat Novak Djokovic for the first time in nine meetings, winning 6–7(4), 7–5, 7–6(5) in the second round of the Swiss Indoors Basel. Djokovic had won their previous eight matches.

Struff, 36, served 27 aces, one of them on match point. The match had one break of serve, when Struff broke Djokovic at the end of the second set; the first and third sets were decided in tiebreaks. He said he knew he had to play his best tennis to have a chance.

Djokovic, 39, was seeded fourth on a wild card and was back in Basel for the first time since 2011. He won the Basel title in 2009 and came in after winning in Beijing this month.

The defeat is a blow to his bid for the season finale and leaves Djokovic only the Paris Masters to qualify for the ATP Finals. Struff meets Nuno Borges in the quarterfinals.

Jan-Lennard Struff beat Novak Djokovic 6⁠–⁠7(4), 7⁠–⁠5, 7⁠–⁠6(5) in the second round of the Swiss Indoors Basel, his first win in nine matches against the Serbian, and dealt a blow to Djokovic's bid to qualify for the ATP Finals.

Djokovic had won all eight of their previous meetings.

Struff, 36, hit 27 aces, including one on match point. The only break of serve came when Struff broke Djokovic at the end of the second set, and both the first and third sets went to tiebreaks.

"There was only one way to play it," Struff said. "I knew I had to play my best tennis to have a chance."

Djokovic, 39 and seeded fourth on a wild card, won the Basel title in 2009 and was playing the event for the first time since 2011, after winning in Beijing this month. He now has only the Paris Masters left to qualify for the ATP Finals.

Struff plays Nuno Borges in the quarterfinals.

Sources

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