BRAUNSCHWEIG/STARNBERG, July 8, 2022
For the first time in the 27-year-old history of the prestigious ATP Challenger Tour tournament in Braunschweig, two Germans have made it into the singles final. Jan-Lennard Struff and Maximilian Marterer will go head-to-head for the title at the 2022 BRAWO Open.
Struff defeated No. 5 seed and last year’s runner-up Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland 6-3, 6-3 in Friday’s quarterfinal. The 32-year-old Warstein native withstood seven aces and broke his opponent’s serve four times to advance in one hour and eight minutes.
“I am very happy to reach the final here,” said Struff, who missed the European clay swing due to a right foot injury. The World No. 155 will also play the doubles final in Braunschweig. Alongside his partner Marcelo Demoliner of Brazil, the pair will take on the all-Czech combination of Roman Jebavy and Adam Pavlasek in the championship match.
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In the second semi-final in singles, Marterer fought past Zhizhen Zhang of China 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4). The 27-year-old lefty from Nürnberg fired 11 aces and won 73 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after two hours and 44 minutes.
“This was simply amazing today,” said Marterer, who came back from a 2-5 deficit in the final set.
World No. 172 Marterer is seeking his eighth ATP Challenger career crown on Saturday, his first of the season. Struff could lift his sixth trophy, his first since Mons 2016. The two Germans will meet for the first time.
