12:21
start is delayed
In doubles, the match tie-break is just beginning on Court 4, so the start of this game will be delayed by 15 to 30 minutes.
12:12
Struff has the edge in head-to-head
Let’s take a look at the direct comparison: Lajović and Struff have faced each other in three matches so far and to the delight of German tennis fans, the 33-year-old from Warstein goes into this game with a 3-0 record. All matches took place on hard court and it was always three sets – most recently in 2022 in Sofia when Struff won 4: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2. It is interesting that the Serb won the first set in every encounter and Struff was able to win every match despite being behind in the set. Will it go the full distance today?
12:07 p.m
Struff takes his chance
Jan-Lennard Struff slipped into this tournament as a lucky loser and has been doing really well so far. In the first round he won 6:3, 6:1 against the Italian Sonego. The Warsteiner had to work a lot harder against the US youngster Shelton in round two and was able to win the match despite being behind in the set. The 4: 6, 7: 6, 7: 5 will certainly give the German self-confidence, especially since his annual record of 5-6 is quite mixed. The fact that Struff, as the current number 65 in the ranking, feels quite comfortable on sand has already been shown by his appearance in Monte-Carlo, where he fought his way from qualification to the quarter-finals – but there it was over against the eventual tournament winner Rublev.
11:56
Lajović is on a roll
Lajović is in great form at the moment and has knocked out several top 10 players in his last few appearances. At the 250cc in Banja Luka he beat Djokovic among others on the way to the final and also defeated favorite Rublev in the final, who had just won his first Masters in Monte Carlo. The 32-year-old also seems to feel comfortable in Madrid, because in his first game he hardly gave Kubler a chance at 6: 3, 6: 3. Auger-Aliassime also felt how uncomfortable Lajović can be in round two: In the end, the current number 40 in the world prevailed 6: 2, 3: 6, 7: 6.
11:46
Welcome!
In the third round of the ATP Masters in Madrid, Dušan Lajović and Jan-Lennard Struff meet today. The match takes place on Court 4, where a double is currently taking place.