Struff defeats Djokovic in Swiss Indoors round of 16

Novak Djokovic’s bid to win the Swiss Indoors ended in the round of 16 when Jan-Lennard Struff defeated him in a three-set match in Basel. Struff won 6-7, 7-5, 7-6, denying Djokovic a chance to add a title at the tournament where he won in 2009. The match turned on serve: Struff struck 27 aces, including the match-winning ace, according to match accounts. Djokovic had saved a second match point with an ace of his own before Struff closed out the deciding tiebreak. Djokovic praised Struff’s aggressive, precise play after the match, saying the German’s serving made the difference. The loss ended Djokovic’s run at the event after he opened with a victory over Ugo Humbert. He entered Basel needing a strong late-season result to improve his position in the race for a place at the ATP Finals. Earlier reports placed him 11th in the standings, but that figure predates his defeat to Struff. His updated position after the Basel exit was not established in the reporting. The Paris Masters was identified as his next opportunity to earn points. Djokovic had arrived in Basel seeking his second Swiss Indoors title and his 103rd career tour title, which would have matched Roger Federer’s...