8th seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka put on a serving masterclass in his opener against Benjamin Bonzi, firing 13 aces and winning 89% of his first-serve points in a 6-4, 6-4 win.
2025 ATP Tour
ATP 250
BOSS Open (Stuttgart Open)
Tennis Club Weissenhof, Stuttgart, Germany (Outdoor Grass)
Selected Round of 16 Matches- 12th June
Jiri Lehecka (8) 0.45 vs Jan-Lennard Struff 1.7
The 23-year-old enjoyed an excellent start to the season, winning a maiden title in Brisbane before a solid 4th round run at the Aussie Open. His results took a plunge after he reached the semifinals in Qatar (he went 1-6 in his next six events). He was humbled by Jannik Sinner in the 3rd round of the French Open and will be pleased with his performance against Bonzi. Lehecka is yet to reach a grass-court final in his career but did show some encouraging signs in 2023, beating Tommy Paul en route to a 4th round run at Wimbledon. He missed last year’s grass-court campaign due to a back issue and will look to revitalize his campaign after a disappointing clay-court swing.
German Jan-Lennard Struff is your prototypical late bloomer, winning his maiden title at last year’s Bavarian Championships. The big-serving 35-year-old has really struggled this campaign, bringing an awful 4-13 record into this week’s BOSS Open. But he looked a bit more like his regular self in his Stuttgart opener, firing 10 aces and winning 90% of his first-serve points in a solid 6-4, 6-4 win over Matteo Arnaldi. Struff is at his best when he plays direct, first-strike tennis, using his big serve and formidable groundstrokes to placate opponents. Struff also knows how to turn in on in front of a home crowd, finishing runner-up here in 2023 before claiming that breakthrough win in Munich last year (three of his four career finals have come at home).
The Verdict: Struff to win in three at 4.6- Lehecka leads the head-to-head 1-0, edging the German in five sets at the 2023 French Open. I honestly think this has upset potential written all over it. Struff plays well in front of his adoring home crowds and will embrace the simplicity of the surfaces. Lehecka has played little grass-court tennis after last year’s injury and may need a little more time to adjust.
