Struff Beats Top Seed Fils to Reach Brussels Final
Jan-Lennard Struff breaks Arthur Fils at love when the Frenchman serves for the match and wins the deciding tiebreaker 7–5
Jan-Lennard Struff took the first set 6–4, and Arthur Fils won the second in a tiebreaker. Fils, ranked No. 10, led 5–4 in the third set and served for a place in the final. Struff broke him at love for 5–5 and won the tiebreaker 7–5 after two hours and 18 minutes.
Struff, 34, came back from a break down twice in the third set. It was his third win over a Top 10 player this season, and he is in his first tour final since he won the title in Munich in 2024.
He plays Tallon Griekspoor, who beat third seed Francisco Cerundolo 2–6, 6–3, 7–6(4) after trailing 5–3 in the third set. Griekspoor leads their head-to-head 3–0.
Fils is still seventh in the ATP's live race for the ATP Finals in Turin, 266 points ahead of Rafael Jodar in ninth, which is effectively the last qualifying place.
Jan-Lennard Struff beat top seed Arthur Fils 6–4, 6–7(7), 7–6(5) in the European Open semifinals in Brussels, breaking Fils at love when the Frenchman served for the match.
Struff took the first set 6–4, and Fils won the second in a tiebreaker 9–7.
Fils, ranked No. 10, led 5–4 in the third set and was serving for a place in the final. Struff, 34, broke to 5–5 and won the deciding tiebreaker 7–5 after two hours and 18 minutes.
It was his third win over a Top 10 player this season.
"I want to thank the crowd for the support. It was an unreal match," Struff said. "I felt I played a very, very good first set, he won the second set which was very close. I managed to come back from a break down twice in the third set. I am just very happy to get the win."
Struff is in his first tour final since he won the title in Munich in 2024. He plays Tallon Griekspoor, who beat third seed Francisco Cerundolo 2–6, 6–3, 7–6(4) after trailing 5–3 in the third set. Griekspoor leads their head-to-head 3–0.
Fils is still seventh in the ATP's live race for the ATP Finals in Turin, 266 points ahead of Rafael Jodar in ninth, which is effectively the last qualifying place.