Thiago Agustin Tirante looks to prove his hard-court breakthrough was no fluke while Jan-Lennard Struff seeks a much-needed revival
Match News and Form
Jan-Lennard Struff has shown some signs of reviving himself from the slump he has endured for more than two years, but he has been unable to turn those promising sparks into a sustained revival. Following a productive grass swing that saw him reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals, he has not won more than one match in any of his next four tournaments, with his latest defeat coming against Francisco Cerundolo in a five-set second-round battle at the US Open after he had put himself in a winning position.
Normally, this would be the time of the season when Thiago Agustin Tirante would return to South America to play Challenger tennis and spend some time on clay. However, his career-best hard-court results during the US Open swing have given him enough confidence to change those plans. He reached the round of 16 in Montreal and the quarterfinals in Cincinnati, including big wins over Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz, and those results also helped him make his Top 50 debut.
The challenge for the Argentine now is to prove that his US Open Series surge was not a one-off and that he can sustain that level on hard courts. Making his Asian swing debut in Beijing, Tirante will look to build on his breakthrough and show that he can maintain his recent level.
Head to Head: 0-0
These two players have never met before.
Stats and Facts
Jan-Lennard Struff has made two previous appearances in Beijing and lost in the first round on both occasions.
Struff has won just six of his 17 matches on outdoor hard courts this year.
Thiago Agustin Tirante has won 14 of his 23 matches on hard courts this year, the most hard-court wins he has recorded in a single season at tour level.
Tirante has a strong 17-7 record against lower-ranked players this year.
Betting Analysis
Thiago Agustin Tirante's recent improvement on hard courts and his more consistent performances this year make him the favorite on paper, but much will depend on what Jan-Lennard Struff brings to the court. Struff remains the more potent player in these conditions when playing at his best and also has the advantage of previous experience in Asia. If the German produces anything close to his best level, this could quickly become a 50-50 contest and potentially shift the balance in his favor.
