The match, which lasted until the final moments of a tense deciding tie-break, saw the 36-year-old Struff clinch the win on his third match point. A powerful ace down the middle proved too much for the 39-year-old Djokovic to handle, ending his campaign in Basel. Djokovic had previously managed to stave off the second match point with an ace of his own, but could not overcome the German’s momentum in the final stages.
Struff Advances as Djokovic Title Chase Pauses
With this result, Djokovic remains one title shy of matching Roger Federer’s career tally of 103 tour-level trophies. The Serbian star, who currently holds 102 titles, was looking to build on his recent success in Beijing earlier this month. He remains behind only Jimmy Connors, who holds the all-time record with 109 titles, and Federer in the historical standings.
Djokovic’s appearance in Basel marked his first time competing at the tournament in 15 years. He famously defeated Federer in the 2009 final at this same venue, a tournament where the Swiss legend eventually claimed a record 10 titles. Despite the high expectations surrounding his return to the event, the top-tier contender was unable to navigate past the determined challenge posed by Struff.
Action Continues in Basel
Elsewhere in the tournament, other seeds navigated their way through the draw. Second-seeded Arthur Fils survived a challenging encounter against American Alex Michelsen, eventually prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Fils is now set to meet sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals, following Fritz’s comfortable 6-4, 6-3 victory over Denis Shapovalov.
Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Jiri Lehecka secured his spot in the next round after a 7-5, 6-4 win against Daniel Altmaier. Lehecka now awaits the winner of the match between top-seeded Ben Shelton and Swiss wild card Jerome Kym, with that quarterfinal clash scheduled for Friday.
