Tsitsipas fails in Barcelona

The quarter final contests are now decided after round of sixteen was completed in Barcelona.

Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell - an ATP 500 category tournament, on Red Clay, in Barcelona, Spain, 22-28 April 2019.

Defending champion:

Rafa Nadal (1) who defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2 6-1

Round of sixteen

- Jan-Lennard Struff v Stefanos Tsitsipas (5)

Following his defeat of tenth seed Goffin, Struff was full of confidence before his match with the young Greek star. Struff had also defeated Alexander Zverev in Indian Wells, and Denis Shapovalov in Monte Carlo, so knew he could give Tsitsipas a run for his money. 

Since making the final in Dubai, Tsitsipas hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire. He lost his first match in Indian Wells, to teenage Canadian Auger-Aliassime, lost in the round of sixteen to another Canadian, Shapovalov in Miami, and to Medvedev in the third round in Monte Carlo.

The pair met once previously, in Sofia, Bulgaria in February this year, where Tsitsipas won in two tight sets.

Today, although his first serve percentage was poor, Struff was able to win 11 of 16 points on his second serve in the first set. This was an area of concern for Tsitsipas, who struggled when missing his initial deliveries.

The only break points in the first eight games came in the fifth, and Struff used the first of these to take control of the set.

When serving at 3-5 to stay in the set, Tsitsipas was at the line for a marathon 22 point game, in which there were 8 deuces, 5 game points wasted, and three break points saved. The fifth seed eventually held serve, but Struff remained a break ahead and would serve for the set.

Saving two break points, the German took the opening set 6-4.

Tsitsipas increased his first serve percentage and won 77% of points on all his serves in a second set where he didn’t face a break point. Neither did Struff until the eight game,where he found himself down 0-40. He recovered to 30-40, but not any further, and the break was made. Tsitsipas served out the set 6-3.

In the decider, Struff raced to a 3-1 lead but was stalled when Tsitsipas broke in the fifth game. That was the final joy for the Greek as the remaining games went to Germany. Tsitsipas was broken twice, the second time for the match, two match points saved, but not a third.

Jan-Lennard Struff triumphed 6-4 3-6 6-2.

- Rafa Nadal (1) defeated wildcard David Ferrer 6-3 6-3

- Dominic Thiem (3) defeated Jaume Munar 7-5 6-1

- Guido Pella defeated Benoit Paire 7-5 6-3

- Lucky loser Roberto Carballes Baena defeated Christian Garin 6-4 7-6(2)

- Kei Nishikori (4) defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1 6-3

- Daniil Medvedev (7) defeated Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-2

- Lucky loser Nicolás Jarry defeated wildcard Grigor Dimitrov (13) 2-6 6-4 7-6(2)

Quarter final match ups 

Rafa Nadal (1) v Jan-Lennard Struff 

Dominic Thiem (3) v Guido Pella 

Lucky loser Roberto Carballes Baena v Kei Nishikori (4)

Daniil Medvedev (7) v lucky loser Nicolás Jarry