Second title in sight: Struff reaches Brussels final after nail-biting match

In a nail-biting semi-final, the player from Warstein defeated world number ten Arthur Fils.

Jan-Lennard Struff has continued his sensational run at the tennis tournament in Brussels and, following a genuine semi-final thriller, is now in the running for his second title on the ATP Tour. The 36-year-old from Warstein prevailed with a magnificent, tenacious performance against the top-seeded world number ten, Arthur Fils of France, winning 6–4, 6–7 (7–9), 7–6 (7–5).

On Sunday, Struff will face unseeded Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor for the tournament title and a prize of around 110,000 euros. Struff has lost all three of his previous encounters with the current world number 60, though the matches have always been very close.

For Wimbledon quarter-finalist Struff, this is his fifth appearance in an ATP-level final. Following defeats in Munich (2021) and at the Masters in Madrid and Stuttgart (both in 2023), he won his only title to date in Munich in April 2024. Struff will move up to at least 47th in the world rankings; a victory in the final would see him rise to 43rd – three years ago, he reached his career-high of 21st.

As in his quarter-final victory over the Belgian Zizou Bergs on Friday, Struff served very strongly, conceding no break points in the first set and securing the ultimately decisive break early on to lead 2–1. Struff also held his serve in the second set, but found himself chasing one deficit after another in the tie-break. He saved three set points, but Fils converted the fourth.

In the deciding set, the tenacious Struff came back twice from a break down; at 5–4, Fils was already serving for the match. After 2 hours and 22 minutes, Struff then had his first match point.