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Match details
Fixture: Jan-Lennard Struff vs Nikoloz Basilashvili
Date: 2 November 2020
Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2020
Round: Round of 64 (First round)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €3,901,015
Match timing: Approx. 3 pm local time, 7.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six / Sony Liv
Jan-Lennard Struff vs Nikoloz Basilashvili preview
World No. 34 Jan-Lennard Struff will square off against Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round of the Paris Masters 2020.
Struff had a decent American hardcourt swing, but his form in Europe has not been up to the mark. The German won only one match across three clay-court tournaments in Italy, France and Germany.
It should be noted that Struff's only win in the European clay swing came against Frances Tiafoe, a player who prefers playing on quicker surfaces. The American still managed to stretch his opponent to five sets in the first round at Roland Garros.
Struff competed in both events at Cologne, but couldn't make much use of his home advantage. The 30-year-old lost to compatriot Oscar Otte in the first round of the bett1Hulks Indoors, whereas Yoshihito Nishioka ended his bett1Hulks Championships campaign in the second round.
Last week, Struff lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Vienna. And yet the German still starts as the favorite against Nikoloz Basilashvili, who is on an astonishing eight-match losing streak at the moment.
Basilashvili is a former top 20 player, but he is not having a good time on the tour right now. The Georgian, in fact, hasn't won a single match following the resumption of tennis in August.
It was Struff himself who had beaten Basilashvili in Dubai back in February 2020, and that failure kicked off a torrid run for the 28-year-old. The fact that Basilashvili hasn't even won a set in the last three months is stark evidence of his disastrous form.
Jan-Lennard Struff vs Nikoloz Basilashvili head-to-head
Jan-Lennard Struff and Nikoloz Basilashvili's head-to-head record is currently tied at 1-1.
As mentioned earlier, Struff defeated Basilashvili in Dubai earlier this year. The two European players had also clashed in Canada last year, where Basilashvili prevailed 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Jan-Lennard Struff vs Nikoloz Basilashvili prediction
Jan-Lennard Struff has struggled of late, but his performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Vienna was encouraging. He blasted 10 aces and saved three break points against the World No. 5, and seemed to be in control of the match until the middle of the second set.
Struff couldn't break his opponent's serve even once though, which eventually proved to be the cause of his downfall. An improved return game could be the last piece of the puzzle for Struff, especially when pitted against the out-of-sorts Nikoloz Basilashvili.
The Georgian has dropped nine places on the men's singles rankings due to his recent lackluster performances. All things considered, it seems unlikely that Basilashvili will give much trouble to Struff in Paris.
Prediction: Jan-Lennard Struff to win in straight sets.
