Tennis professional Jan-Lennard Struff was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the ATP tournament in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
After the convincing victory over the Russian world number ten and defending champion Karen Chatschanow, the 35-year-old from Warstein had to admit defeat to the eighth-seeded Frenchman Corentin Moutet 4:6, 5:7.
Struff suffered his third defeat in the third match against his opponent, who was nine years his junior. Nevertheless, the performances in the Kazakh metropolis are encouraging; the Davis Cup player is still fighting for direct qualification for the Australian Open 2026 and needs every point in the world rankings. In this he worked his way up slightly, but is still in the top 90.
Against Khachanov, Struff was able to rely on his serve, but in the quarterfinals he let him down at times. The world number 98 allowed a total of five breaks, and he had 18 break chances but only used three. What was particularly bitter were the four missed opportunities to make it 4-0 in the second half, which ultimately marked the turnaround.