LONDON — Daniil Medvedev suffered a stunning third-round exit at Wimbledon on Friday after squandering commanding positions in every set during a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 7-5 defeat to Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
The former world No. 1 appeared on course to take control of the match on multiple occasions but failed to capitalize, allowing the 36-year-old Struff, ranked No. 74 in the ATP rankings, to complete one of the biggest victories of his season and reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time.
Medvedev’s missed opportunities proved decisive throughout the two-hour, 52-minute contest. He led 3-1 and 30-0 in the opening set before Struff recovered to force a tiebreak, which the German claimed 7-4.
The pattern repeated in the second set, with Medvedev serving at 5-2 and holding a 15-0 advantage before Struff mounted another comeback to force a second consecutive tiebreak. Once again, the German held his nerve to edge it 7-5.
The third set delivered Medvedev’s most painful collapse. Leading 5-2 and holding two match points at 40-15 on Struff’s serve, the Russian was unable to finish the contest. Struff reeled off five straight games, completing the comeback to seal victory in straight sets.
The defeat marks another disappointing Grand Slam campaign for Medvedev, who has now failed to progress beyond the fourth round in his past seven major tournaments. For Struff, the victory sends him into the Round of 16 at Wimbledon for the first time in his career and extends an impressive run that has revived his grass-court season.
