Jan-Lennard Struff reached the final of the European Open in Brussels by defeating top-seeded Frenchman Arthur Fils 6:4, 6:7 (7:9), 7:6 (7:5) in a hard-fought semifinal, t-online reported. The 36-year-old German advanced to Sunday’s championship match where he will face the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.
Struff Overcomes Match Point Deficits Against Fils
The semifinal clash in Brussels tested both players across three tightly contested sets. Struff established an early advantage by breaking Fils’ serve and building a 5:3 lead in the opening set. After missing three set points on the Frenchman’s serve, Struff converted his fourth opportunity on his own service game to claim the set 6:4.
The second set followed a similar tight pattern until a tiebreak decided the outcome. Struff initially erased three set points before Fils secured the tiebreak 9:7 to level the match. In the deciding third set, Struff committed a critical double fault at 4:4, allowing Fils to break serve and serve for the match. Struff immediately answered with a crucial break of his own, forcing another tiebreak where he converted his first match point to seal the victory.
“Das war ein unglaubliches Spiel, ich bin sehr glücklich,” Struff said after the match, describing an incredible game and expressing happiness over reaching the final. He noted that playing in a championship match remains a special achievement.
Championship Showdown Against Griekspoor
Sunday’s final pits Struff against Tallon Griekspoor. Historical records show that Struff has not won any of his three previous career encounters against the Dutch player. Struff’s previous and only career singles title on the ATP Tour came in 2024 at the BMW Open in Munich.
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UPSET IN BRUSSELS! 🚨Jan-Lennard Struff takes out No.1 seed Arthur Fils to reach his fifth ATP Tour final! 💪@BNPPFEUOpen #BNPPFEuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/3cUkR2sgSd
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