ATP Tour

Struff saves 9 MPs in incredible Hong Kong turnaround

Jan-Lennard Struff was voted the ATP Comeback Player of the Year by his peers last season and he lived up to that title with an incredible escape act Tuesday at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open.

The German refused to back down against Marin Cilic at the hard-court ATP 250, saving nine match points to prevail 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(7) in a three-hour epic on Tuesday.

The 2014 US Open champion Cilic, competing for the first time since July due to a right knee injury, was in command when leading by a set and 5-2. However, Struff dug in with some inspired last-ditch striking as the rallies increased in intensity and quality to provide a pulsating conclusion.

9 match points saved! 😮@Struffitennis had to dig deep to get past Cilic!@Hkto_mens | #BOCHKTO2024pic.twitter.com/ZA99eIdvfS

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 2, 2024

The No. 25 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings Struff saved five match points at the tail end of the second set, earned a third set tie-break by fending off a trio of match points serving at 5-6, and then evaded defeat again at 6/7 in that decisive tie-break.

"It was such a tough battle. I wasn't playing my best tennis, but I don't want to take anything away from Marin, he played a crazy, amazing match," said Struff. "It’s great to have Marin back after such a long time out. He's such a tough competitor, so a lot of respect. He's always working so hard and an unbelievable role model for the game.

"I just told myself 'Let's go,' to keep fighting, to never quit. You have to give yourself the chance to fight back. It won’t be given to you and that's why it's such a great sport. Obviously very happy to take the win."

Most MPs Saved In An ATP Tour Win Since 2015:

Struff, who once saved 12 match points in a junior contest, rolls on to meet Austrian Sebastian Ofner in the second round following his clinical 6-1, 6-2 triumph against Mackenzie McDonald.

Also on Tuesday, Hong Kong's rising star Chak Lam Coleman Wong proved he has an extremely bright future in a finely poised encounter with Lorenzo Musetti.

Italy’s Musetti looked on course for an assured straight-sets victory, but ATP Tour debutant Wong had other ideas, breaking the sixth seed with some inspired play when he was serving for the match at 5-4, to get the home crowd roaring.

Musetti instantly regrouped, and the World No. 27 closed out the last two games to move on 6-4, 7-5.

"It was not easy, first match of the year, especially with a crowd favourite. Coleman played well, putting me in a lot of difficult positions until the end," said Musetti. "He was playing really freely, feeling the moment for sure. He's great guy, has a lot of potential. I had to stay calm and patient to find a way to close the match. Tomorrow (vs Pavel Kotov) will be another story.

"It's a great location, a great city, with a lot of fans here. We have everything we need to make us feel at home. Hopefully I can go forward here to enjoy this beautiful tournament."

A @Lorenzo1Musetti masterpiece 🎨

A Lovely backhand from the No. 6 seed on his way to taking the opener 6-4 over Wong.@Hkto_mens | #BOCHKTO2024 pic.twitter.com/zMgGNBaOVl

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 2, 2024

Musetti believes a strong week in Hong Kong can provide the springboard for a resurgent 2024.

"I'm working really hard to break back into the Top 20," stated the 21-year-old. "Last year was not easy for me, I didn’t play too well at the end and dropped a little bit. My goal now is to be more mature on court, to try to focus more on my tennis and to be more aggressive on court. Those things can help me reach another level and try to get close to the Top 10."

Local hero Wong will cherish his memories from an impressive ATP Tour debut.

"I'd give myself a seven or eight out of 10. I'm up there with a No. 27 in the world. It was a really close match and with the crowd mostly behind me," said the wild card 19-year-old. "I'm really happy I had the opportunity to play Lorenzo, he's beaten Novak (Djokovic) and many great players, and I made him suffer a little bit.

"Especially in my hometown, where I started playing tennis, this really means a lot to me. I've been coming to train here since I was five, It's quite emotional."

Arthur Fils, the highest-ranked teenager in the world, found the answers in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 battle with Croatian Borna Gojo. Marc-Andrea Huesler awaits the World No. 36 in the last 16. The Swiss dispatched fellow qualifier Vitaliy Sachko 6-4, 6-4.

Briton Liam Broady is building momentum with a 6-4, 6-0 scoreline over Argentine Pedro Cachin. The qualifier's reward is to go toe-to-toe with top seed Andrey Rublev in the second round.

Miomir Kecmanovic had too much firepower to outgun qualifier Taro Daniel 6-3, 6-2 and the World No. 54 will be eager to bring his best facing third seed Frances Tiafoe on Centre Court on Wednesday. Roberto Bautista Agut lined up a clash with fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo, relinquishing just five games to Fabian Marozsan in a 6-2, 6-3 win.

Story republished with the permission of hkmenstennisopen.com