A rusty former US Open champion Marin Cilic on Tuesday squandered 9 match factors on his return to tennis after an injury-ravaged yr, dropping a thriller to Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) on the Hong Kong Open.
The Croatian former world quantity three Cilic seemed to be cruising to victory in a tough first-round take a look at in opposition to the gritty big-serving German at Victoria Park after racing to a set and 5-2 up.
However world quantity 25 Struff confirmed enormous dedication to tug himself again from the brink, saving 5 match factors within the second set to degree the match in a tiebreak.
Struff then withstood 4 extra match factors within the deciding set earlier than ultimately prevailing after a marathon 3hr 6min on Victoria Park’s centre court docket.
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Cilic was happy that his troublesome proper knee had proven no ill-effects from the meniscus surgical procedure and cartilage harm that stored him out for nearly all of 2023.
“After getting back from such an harm, I’d need to say it was actually constructive suggestions in the course of the match,” stated Cilic, who received his lone main at Flushing Meadows in 2014 and has additionally reached Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
Issues bought difficult
“I gave him an opportunity a bit bit to return again, then issues bought difficult,” stated the 6ft 6in (1.98m) Cilic, who was carrying a small patch of help tape on his knee.
“However it provides me actually good confidence. There have been clearly just a few issues a bit bit rusty with some knee actions, however I imagine that it’s going to return again with just a few extra matches.”
Struff, who reached two finals final yr, stated it took time to get into his stride in his first match of 2024.
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“After not taking part in for one yr, I believed (Cilic) performed an excellent match,” Struff stated.
“I wasn’t completely happy for the primary set and a half how I performed, however I attempted to make it as laborious as I may for him and I used to be a bit fortunate, for certain.”
Struff will meet Austria’s world quantity 43 Sebastian Ofner within the second spherical after he cruised previous American Mackenzie McDonald, ranked two locations greater, 6-1, 6-2.
McDonald made headlines when he knocked out an ailing Rafael Nadal from the Australian Open a yr in the past, however seemed out of types in his season opener as he was ousted in simply 61 minutes.
Rising French star Arthur Fils, 19, who was runner-up within the ATP Tour’s NextGen Finals final yr, reached the second spherical with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win over Borna Gojo of Croatia.
High seed and world quantity 5 Andrey Rublev of Russia is not going to start his marketing campaign till Thursday after a bye into the final 16, the place he’ll meet Britain’s Liam Broady.
World quantity 108 Broady, who got here via qualifying, breezed previous Argentina’s world quantity 70 Pedro Cachin 6-4, 6-0 in 1hr 9min.