Jan-Lennard Struff became the third player in Wimbledon history to make two comebacks from two sets down in the same tournament when he outlasted Ivo Karlovic 6-7(5), 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 13-11 on Wednesday. Struff is the first player ever to do it in each of the first two rounds, having previously defeated Leonardo Mayer 3-6, 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-1.
The German’s reward is a round of 32 showdown against Roger Federer.
Federer was in the ESPN studio for an interview while watching the conclusion of Struff vs. Karlovic.
“I [think] Struff [will] be tougher and more dangerous,” the 36-year-old said after the world No. 64 finished off his comeback against Karlovic.
Match point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dmULmDr_fc
Before rain washed out several hours of play, another five-setter featured Mackenzie McDonald and Nicolas Jarry. It was McDonald who emerged victorious, edging the Chilean 7-6(5), 5-7, 3-6, 6-2, 11-9. The American and former college standout at UCLA earned the fifth ATP-level match win of his career and third on grass this summer.
“I think my game suits it,” McDonald said of grass in an interview with Tennis Now last month. “I haven’t played much on it though, so I want to keep playing on it more and keep getting better. For now, it’s still new to me and I’m trying to pick up things as the matches go on.”
The 23-year-old is getting better in a hurry, but he will have to keep improving at a meteoric rate if he wants to advance another round because his likely third-round opponent is 2017 Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic. Cilic led Guido Pella by two sets before rain halted play.
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nice one, Struffi
It’s good to see,because his grass court record isn’t good,but it should be with his game.
I picked Mayer,though🤔