Jan-Lennard Struff Advanced to Brussels Quarterfinals Over Gauthier Onclin

German tennis Jan-Lennard Struff advanced to the quarterfinals of the indoor tournament in Brussels with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Belgian opponent Gauthier Onclin.

Struff Navigates Past Onclin in Straight Sets

Struff reached his second ATP-tour quarterfinal of the season following his run at Wimbledon, where tournament winner Jannik Sinner eventually stopped him in the last eight. The latest win marks the 41st quarterfinal appearance of Struff’s career. Facing Onclin for the first time, the 36-year-old Warstein native immediately broke his opponent’s serve in the opening set. In the second frame, Struff secured two breaks to quickly close out the match. Although the world No. 58 conceded several opportunities to the 178th-ranked Belgian, he maintained composure in the decisive moments.

Max Schönhaus Falls in Three-Set Thriller

While Struff moved forward comfortably, compatriot Max Schönhaus exited the Brussels tournament in the opening round following a tight defeat against Tallon Griekspoor. The 19-year-old wild-card entrant from Soest lost 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7:5), 5-7 to the 30-year-old Dutchman. Schönhaus served solidly and converted a tiebreak in the second set after dropping the first in another tiebreak, but Griekspoor utilized 34 aces to fend off multiple break points in the final frame. “Großer Respekt an Max, zweieinhalb Stunden auf diesem Level zu spielen,” Griekspoor remarked about his opponent after the two-and-a-half-hour contest.

Schedule Adjustments in Brussels

Struff’s path to the quarterfinals shifted prior to his second match when player Alexander Blockx withdrew from the tournament. Blockx, who held a first-round bye as a 21-year-old wildcard, pulled out on Tuesday, opening the door for Onclin to step in as a replacement entry.

Additional First-Round Match Details in Brussels

Playing at the ATP-250 indoor tournament, the 302nd-ranked Schönhaus only dropped a single service game throughout the contest—the one that sealed his defeat in the third set—while failing to convert three break points against his opponent. Griekspoor also led the match’s ace count with 34 aces to 12. Schönhaus successfully landed 69 percent of his first serves, putting 77 out of 112 over the net into the correct court. Following the conclusion of the match, Schönhaus departed the arena to applause from the spectators.

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