Stuttgart Open: Struff shocks Hurkacz, makes final

German Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Pole Hubert Hurkacz, the No 4 seed, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the final of the Stuttgart Open at Tennis Club Weissenhof on Saturday.

This will be Struff’s third ATP Tour final; he has lost both his previous finals. It is his second this year alone (having lost in Madrid to Carlos Alcaraz), but his first ever on grass as well as his first ever in his homeland.

Struff and Hurkacz had never played each other on tour before – only in the Davis Cup in 2016, when the German won in three sets.

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Tennis Majors

The third seed now plays Frances Tiafoe in the final, who he has never faced on grass before. In 2019, Struff lost to him 6-3, 6-4 on hard court in Antwerp; in 2020, Struff won in five sets at Roland-Garros.

The 33-year-old German won against Chinese Zhizhen Zhang (6-1, 6-4), American Tommy Paul, the No 5 seed (7-6 (4), 7-6 (5)) and Frenchman Richard Gasquet (6-4, 7-5) earlier in the tournament.

First final on home soil 🇩🇪@Struffitennis defeats Hurkacz 3-6 6-3 6-3 to reach his 3rd ATP Tour final!#BOSSOPEN pic.twitter.com/NYnIXQ7gkK

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 17, 2023

In the previous rounds of the Stuttgart tournament, Hurkacz, ranked No 14, edged out Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki (4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5)) and won against Australian Christopher O’Connell (6-4, 6-4).

Stuttgart ATP250, other semi-final result (Tennis Club Weissenhof, grass, EUR 718.410):

• Frances Tiafoe beat Marton Fucsovics (Q): 6-3, 7-6 (11)