Halys eliminated in the first round of Indian Wells
Quentin Halys, 81st in the world, was eliminated in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters 1000, overthrown 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 by the German Jan-Lennard Struff (134th), Thursday.
The Frenchman, whose first participation in the Californian tournament was, started the meeting with a bang, relying on an excellent first ball (73% success, 5 aces) to swallow the first set in just 20 minutes. But Struff, from qualifying, resurfaced later, adjusting the sights on his serve, one of his weapons. This allowed him to erase five break points, from the start of the second inning. And it was he who was able to show realism to seize the commitment of Halys to lead 3-1, before taking this advantage to equalize.
The 32-year-old German remained the strongest in the third set, again saving two break points and then converting two on his opponent’s serve, a little too feverish in the moment of truth (4 double faults). Halys goes on a fourth consecutive elimination in the 1st rounds, after Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai. Struff will face the American Tommy Paul, 19th in the world.
