Jan-Lennard Struff's surprise win over Novak Djokovic in Basel leaves the Serb's bid for the ATP Finals in Turin in serious doubt.
Novak Djokovic's push to reach the ATP Finals just took a heavy blow. Jan-Lennard Struff pulled off a surprise win over the Serbian great in Basel, and the chances of Djokovic playing in Turin next month are fading.
Djokovic is used to being the favourite in any room he walks into, so a loss to Struff stings. The German played fearless tennis on the day, and the result shows how little margin the season-ending race leaves, even for a player of Djokovic's standing.
The ATP Finals bring together the best eight players of the year, and every tournament in the closing weeks counts toward a place in that field. A defeat like this one costs Djokovic a chance to pick up ranking points and build momentum, and it leaves him with less time to make up the ground.
For Struff, it is a statement win over one of the most decorated players the sport has seen. For Djokovic, the focus now shifts to what he can still do to keep his Turin hopes alive.
