Tallon Griekspoor, the second-seeded Dutch player, faced a challenging match against Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino in the second round of the Nordea Open held in Bastad, Sweden. Griekspoor showed resilience, managing to save five match points and ultimately securing a dramatic victory with a score of 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 after two hours and 11 minutes of play.
Reflecting on the tough match, Griekspoor admitted, “He probably deserved the win in the second set, I got a little bit lucky with the match points.” He acknowledged the challenges posed by Pellegrino’s varied playing style, stating, “An unbelievably tough match, he really made it difficult for me.” This victory marks Griekspoor’s 23rd tour quarter-final appearance.
The Dutch player recently claimed his third tour title in Mallorca on grass and looks forward to facing fellow countryman Jesper de Jong in the quarter-finals. De Jong entered this stage after defeating Czech eighth seed Vit Kopriva with a score of 7-6(3), 7-5. Griekspoor noted their previous encounter, where he lost, saying, “I’m definitely looking forward to some revenge there.”
Also making strides in the tournament, Botic van de Zandschulp triumphed over Swedish wildcard Mikael Ymer with a score of 6-4, 6-1. With this victory, three Dutchmen have reached the quarter-finals of the same ATP Tour event for the first time since Rotterdam in 2023. Van de Zandschulp will next face Argentina’s fifth seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli, who defeated Chile’s Cristian Garin.
In other matches, Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic continued his impressive run by beating Denmark’s Elmer Moler 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, setting him up for a clash with third seed Nuno Borges of Portugal. Meanwhile, Italian sixth seed Luciano Darderi eliminated the last remaining Swede in the draw, Elias Ymer, with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory, and will compete against fourth seed Sebastian Baez of Argentina for a semi-final spot.
The performances in Bastad reflect not just individual talent, but also the strengthening presence of Dutch players on the ATP Tour, showcasing a bright future for tennis in the Netherlands. As they continue to progress in the tournament, there’s a hopeful opportunity for further success and a potential deep run for these athletes.