It is that time of the year and both the fans and the players have agreed themselves up ahead of an intense grass court season. With the ATP Halle Open up and running, the players are looking solid to clinch the grass court title to make a bold statement ahead of the rest of the season. One of those stars is Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek sensation, who has had an average season so far will be looking desperate to turn things around and clinch the title.

However, standing his way in the round of 16 will be the German superpower Jan-Lennard Struff. With the stage all set for a mouth-watering encounter, who among the two will make their way into the last 8?

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jan-Lennard Struff: Preview

Currently ranked no. 11 in the world, Stefanos Tsitsipas progressed to the 2nd round in Berlin after a straight-sets victory over Henri Squire, 7-6(7) 7-6(2). Tsitsipas scored 79 points to Squire’s 68 and was highly aggressive, hitting 38 winners. His serving was impressive, with 7 aces and only 1 double fault.

Stefanos Tsitsipas won 84% of his first serve points (38/45) and 88% on his second serve (21/24), which helped him avoid being broken throughout the match.

On the other hand, his German rival Jan-Lennard Struff advanced to the 2nd round in Berlin after a hard-fought win over Luciano Darderi, 6-7(2) 7-5 7-6(10). Struff recovered from a set down, scoring 131 points to Darderi’s 120, and was highly aggressive with 57 winners.

His serving was dominant, with 21 aces and 8 double faults. Struff won 90% of his first serve points (57/63) and 56% on his second serve (24/43), conceding his serve only once. He broke Darderi twice, converting 22% of his break points (2/9).

Tsitsipas vs Struff: Head-to-head

When it comes to the head-to-head statistics between the two players, the Greek player certainly has the upper-hand advantage in the tie. Interestingly, these two stars have faced each other a total of 8 times and this will be the 9th encounter between the two. Talking about the win-loss record, the Greek player stands on top as he has 5 wins compared to Struff’s 3. However, one of those wins came in Challengers back in the year 2017.

Their first meeting on the professional tour came back in 2019 in Sofia and the Greek sensation came out on top in a straight sets 7-6 (5), 6-4. On the other hand, their most recent encounter came earlier this year at the ATP Rome Masters. While the venue was different, the result was still the same. Stefanos Tsitsipas came out on top but had to pull in some extra effort. The final scoreline remained 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 in favor of the Greek player.

Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas could come out on top in a three-set thriller

With the stage set for a thriller, both players will be equally desperate to lay their hands on the win. However, as things stand, Stefanos Tsitispas could be the stronger contender who could actually come out on top in the match. The advantage that the Greek player has in the head-to-head stats could prove to be beneficial for him.

However, eagerly determined to turn the tide around, Jan-Lennard Striff will look to grab the win and make sure that he eliminates his rival from the event. With the stage all set for a mouth-watering fixture, who among the two will come out on top? Do let us know in the comments below!