GERMAN talent Jan-Lennard Stuff remains a threat for the world’s best ATP Tour players as seventh seed David Goffin found out during today’s Western & Southern Open Round of 16 match. The world number 32 hit 35 winners – including to break in the deciding set – on his way to an impressive 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory over Goffin who reached the final here in 2019. Struff said post-match that the conditions were challenging and Goffin would not relinquish the match easily.

““It was a tough one, very close one again,” Struff said. “The conditions were very hot again. Yesterday I thought it was a bit worse, the conditions, but David is a very tough player. “I had some chances, he had some chances… the last game was really good.”

The match lasted two hours and nine minutes, handing the German his eighth top 10 career victory, of which seven have come in the past 15 matches, and six of those in in the past 18 months. Struff said he felt he was winning more of those tight games against quality opposition than in his fledgling years.

“”I played some good tennis early on [against Top 10 players] as well, but I lost the matches most of the time,” Struff said. “That gave me a bit of experience how it is to be on court with them… I played good tennis [today] and I’m very happy to get another Top 10 win.”

Unfortunately for the world number 32, he now has the toughest job in world tennis – taking on world number one Novak Djokovic for a spot in the semi-final. The Serbian is yet to lose in 2020, and in fact he has only dropped a set in five of his 20 matches. Luckily for Struff, one of them was against him in the first round of the Australian Open. Instead of worrying about the result, the German is looking forward to the challenge.

“”It will be very nice,” he said. I played him at the Australian Open, which was a very good match, I think, a very good match for me. “I would love to play him again.”

Djokovic made his way into the quarter finals with a regulation 6-2 6-4 victory over American wildcard Tennys Sandgren, with third seed Danill Medvedev also blasting his way to victory, ending the run of Slovenian qualifier Aljaz Bedene 6-3 6-3. Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas had his work cut out for him against big serving John Isner, and in typical Isner style, the American forced his highly ranked opponent to two tiebreakers, before the Greek talent could advance. But in a promising sign for the up and comer, he only served one less ace (10-11) than the best in the business.

In other results, eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut became the fourth seeded player into the last eight with a hard-fought come-from-behind victory over 11th seed Russian, Karen Khachanov 4-6 6-4 6-2. Italian Matteo Berrettini was not as fortunate, boing out to a red-hot Reilly Opelka 6-3 7-6, while Canadian Milos Raonic and Serbian Filip Krajinovic completely destroyed their respective opponents, wildcard Andy Murray and qualifier Marton Fucsovics.

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN ATP RESULTS:

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) defeated [WC] Tennys Sandgren (USA) 6-2 6-4
[3] Daniil Medvedev (RUS) defeated [Q] Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-3 6-3
[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated [16] John Isner (USA) 7-6 7-6
Reilly Opelka (USA) defeated [6] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 6-3 7-6
Jan-Lennard Stuff (GER) defeated [7] David Goffin (BEL) 6-4 3-6 6-4
[8] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) defeated [11] Karen Khachanov (RUS) 4-6 6-3 6-2
Milos Raonic (CAN) defeated [WC] Andy Murray (GBR) 6-2 6-2
Filip Krajnovic (SRB) defeated [Q] Marton Fucsovics (HUN) 6-2 6-1