WATCH: No.1 Seed Daniil Medvedev Kicks Sponsor Board, Loses Opening Match at Halle Open 2021

World No.2 and top seed at Halle Open 2021, Daniil Medvedev slumped to a straight-set defeat at the hands of Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round. And in frustration, Medvedev kicked a sponsor board next to the court.

Earlier, Medvedev had shocked everybody by reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open 2021. And with a switch to the faster surface in grass, it looked like Medvedev would be more comfortable on the surface. However, Medvedev’s first match on the grass at Halle Open looked uninspiring and further opened the draw.

Daniil Medvedev chokes against Jan-Lennard Struff at Halle Open 2021

The first set was rather good for Medvedev at the start. He wasn’t giving many cheap points and quickly even broke Struff to lead, 3-1. He would then later reach a commanding position of 5-2 and looked set to take the set. However, the Russian failed to serve out the set at 5-3 and Struff was back in the match.

Moreover, at 6-5, Medvedev saw his set point saved during Struff’s serve and the opening set went into a tiebreaker. Here initially, Struff saw two set points at 6-4. But Medvedev saved both of them. However, the Russian’s resistance ended soon and Struff took the tiebreaker, 8-6, and the set, 7-6.

Daniil Medvedev’s failed comeback in the second set

The second set saw Medvedev’s frustration as he couldn’t influence Struff’s serve. Serving at 1-2, Medvedev was broken for the first time in the second set as Struff saw a victory coming. Later, as Struff was serving at 3-1, Medvedev failed to convert two break points and the German consolidated a 4-1 lead.

Medvedev was again broken at 1-4, as he looked towards a certain defeat. But Struff’s lack of conviction haunted him again as he couldn’t convert a match point and lost his serve, 5-2. Medvedev would serve out a clean game to put pressure on Struff. While serving for the match the second time, Struff would not convert another match point and found himself in a precarious 40-40 situation. However, the German then became third time lucky as he converted his third match point to take the match, 7-6(6), 6-3.