French Open, 3rd round, Saturday, 01.06.2024
German chances of victory at this French Open? Surely they are only represented by Alexander Zverev! You might think so, but a colleague of the Olympic champion seems to be preparing to change that.
Jan-Lennard Struff has moved into this 3rd round with tremendous aplomb and will now face the world number 11. He is the underdog, so far so good. But: The odds see him at only a slight disadvantage!
So there’s a lot to analyze in my de Minaur Struff tip, because it’s not just the bookies who expect a damn close match here. So I’ll tell you now why I definitely don’t expect a result without a TIebreak!
2019 and 2021, he will have made a careful note of it or have the memories of it in his mind, he played a round of 16 match here and was able to experience what it’s like to win a few matches in a row.
Jan-Lennard Struff likes the French Open, that much is certain. The now 34-year-old shows flashes of his potential time and again, and he has unbelievable plans for 2024 in particular.
He arrived in Munich as the reigning champion, having won against Felix Auger-Aliassime, Holger Rune and Taylor Fritz, among others, in the Bavarian capital
And so he went to Paris with a broad chest, where he was able to start directly with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 win against Roman Andre Burruchaga. Saved his strength? Good, because Alexander Bublik was anything but an easy opponent in the second round.
At least that’s what they thought before the match, because after not too long the scoreboard read 6-2, 6-2, 6-3! Struff had not only beaten Bublik, he had almost taken him apart.
81% points won on his first serve, only one break conceded in two chances, his own service was the key to success. It had been very similar in round 1, where the German even managed to avoid losing a break on one occasion
Late start, a break in between, even the rain couldn’t stop Struff from putting the 19th-seeded Bublik in his place in impressive style.
The first match point went in and he knows: “I’m certainly not without a chance against Alex de Minaur! The two have played each other five times so far, and the Warstein native is just 2:3 behind.
While he came out on top in 2023, the most recent duel, which took place in Miami this year, went to de Minaur by the narrow margin of 6-4, 7-6. As he is a good way ahead of Struff in the world rankings (eleventh to 41st), he is also favored on Saturday.
The odds show an average of 1.70 to 2.10 in favor of the Australian, but his lead is not huge. By the way: You can also take a look at the best sports betting odds outside of the French Open, as it’s already worth taking a first look at everything to do with the 2024 European Championships
Alex de Minaur will probably not be crossing his fingers for anyone here, after all, he is at home Down Under. He has been among the world’s best for years, but has yet to achieve the absolute top results at Grand Slams.
Until this year, he had NEVER reached the 3rd round at Roland Garrod. He went through these first two matches with a similar aplomb to Struff, never dropping a set.
First he won 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 against Alex Michelsen, followed shortly afterwards by a 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 win against Jaume Munar. At 1.83 meters, he is exactly ten centimetres shorter than Struff, so will that put him at a disadvantage when it comes to serving?
In round 2, he won 56% of the points in the first service, where the German was much better. He conceded a total of three breaks, so you can’t call him a weak server here either
My de Minaur Struff tip
One, two or none? It’s not just Alexander Zverev who wants to reach the round of 16 at this French Open, Jan-Lennard Struff has also thrilled us twice with his performances, celebrating smooth victories.
Of course, Alex de Minaur is a top 11 player and as such should be rated highly. Since Struff rigorously pulls off his own service game and de Minaur is also a top player, I have decided on the following tip:
Both go into at least one tiebreak!
