On Wednesday afternoon, Hubert Hurkacz validated his ticket for the third round of the Swiss Indoors Basel (ATP 500) after defeating the German Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets (6-1;6-4) in just over an hour. 

The Pole started the match really well, playing aggressive tennis which allowed him to break early on, just before being broken back (2-1). Just when it seemed as if Struff was finding a way to resist, Hurkacz raised the bar and took the first set without losing any more games (6-1).

At the beginning of the second set, Hubi became unplayable, especially during his service games. An early break gave him an encouraging lead (3-1). Although Struff kept on winning his following service games, he did not find the magical key allowing him to break the serve of the confident 196cm serving machine in front of him (6-4).   

Hurkacz was the first player in Basel to qualify for the quarter-finals. He is also the first Pole in 38 years to do so! His next opponent will be either the Dutch Tallon Griekspoor or the Australian Alex De Minaur. 

The giant from Wrocław is firmly determined to make it to the last big tournament of the year, the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. In order to maximise his chances of doing so, the Pole added one additional tournament (the ATP 250 Moselle Open in Metz) to his already busy calendar in these last months of the 2023 season. 

The ATP Finals is the last big tournament of every season, gathering the 8 best-ranked players in the world. The only time Hurkacz participated in it was back in 2021 when he was eliminated in the group stage. Wednesday’s victory will allow him to join the top 10 for the first time in this year.  

Image: Swiss Indoors Basel

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen