Zizou Bergs was eliminated in the first round of the European Open, the tennis tournament in Antwerp, played on a hard surface, at the Lotto Arena.
The only Belgian present in the final draw of the only ATP tournament organized in Belgium, the Limburger, 186th player in the world, lost in two sets 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, in 1 hour and 26 minutes , facing the South African Lloyd Harris, 32nd in the world and seventh seed in the event. The meeting started quite late, around 10:30 p.m., due to the marathon between Andy Murray and Frances Tiafoe that preceded it.
Harris will meet the German in the next round Jan-Lennard Struff (ATP 50), striker 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 of the Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ATP 45). This one had already been taken out in the 1st round of the Antwerp tournament last year, by Zizou Bergs, who was then playing his very first ATP tournament. The Limburger was then beaten in three sets in the 2nd round by the Russian Karen Khachanov, 17th in the world.
In one year, Bergs rose from 528th to 186th in the world, clinched three titles on the Challenger Tour and was selected for the Davis Cup for the first time.
In the early afternoon, Ruben Bemelmans and Kimmer Coppejans, the two other Belgians on the track during the second day, were eliminated in the first round of the doubles, 6-3, 6-2, by the French Nicolas mahut and Fabrice Martin.
Wednesday, it is again in doubles that we will be able to see the Belgians at work. Sander Gillé and Joran Flying will compete against the Argentinian Federico Delbonis and the Spanish David vega hernandez. Xavier Malisse, retired to play in the doubles in Antwerp, will play around 5.30 p.m. with Lloyd Harris, of whom he is one of the coaches, against the Australian Matt Reid and in Monaco Romain Arneodo.
