BSS
  20 Apr 2024, 20:38

Struff dumps defending champ Rune out to reach Munich final

MUNICH, Germany, April 20, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Unseeded German Jan-Lennard Struff romped past defending champion and second seed Holger Rune in straight sets to reach the final of the Munich ATP tournament on Saturday.

Struff, the world number 28, lost just two games in the entire match on his way to a 6-2, 6-0 win over Rune.

Rune had won the past two tournaments in Munich and was bidding to become the first player since American Budge Patty to win the event for three years in a row.

The 33-year-old Struff will take part in his second final on the Munich clay after the 2019 event.

The home player will meet third-seeded American Taylor Fritz, who beat Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-4 earlier to qualify for his first clay court final.

Fritz, 26, ended the run of 2019 champion Garin, who had defeated local favourite and number one seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.

"It was really cool," Fritz said after the win.

"I have been really close to a clay-court final a couple of times. It would be awesome to get a title on a clay court."

Fritz, the world number 15, broke the Chilean once in each set to make it through to his second final of the season after winning the Delray Beach Open in February.