Straff took control early, breaking the Phils’ lead 2-1 in the third. Serving at 4-5, Phils saved three set points in the long game, but Straff served out the set at the next opportunity.
The second set was served. Phils saved a break point in a marathon match at 2-1 and Straff saved two at 2-2. The Phils took a 4-1 lead into the tiebreaker and clawed back at 4-4. He needed four set points to make it 9-7 and Straffi was two points away from victory.
The decider turned back and forth. The Phils broke in the opener to take a 2-0 lead, but Struff broke right back to make it 2-2. Phils broke again for 5-4 and served for the match, but Straff broke back on the third attempt. At 5-5 in the tiebreak, a mini-break gave the German a match point and he converted it on his serve.
“Very happy. It was a very tough match,” Straff said on the court. “I felt like I played a very, very good first set. He had a very close second. I’m just glad I won.”
First final on hard courts
Straff, ranked No. 58, had lost all seven of his previous semi-finals on hard courts. He reaches his fifth career ATP Tour final and first since winning his only title in Munich in 2024.
The win tied Phils at 1-1 after the Frenchman won the 2024 Paris Masters 1000 6-3, 6-4. It was Struff’s third win over a top-10 player this season, following Alexander Bublik and Daniil Medvedev in the first round at Roland Garros, where he became the oldest man in the third round. Grand Slam quarterfinals.
“It’s just never giving up and trying one more time, just fighting, hanging in there,” he said of how well he’s playing at age 36.
Struff beat American Marcos Girone 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) and Belgian lucky loser Gauthier Onklin 6-4, 6-2 to 6th seed Zizou Bergs of Belgium 6-3, 7-6 (6).
Phils, seeded 10th and the top seed in an ATP Tour event for the first time, reached the semifinals by eliminating Jaume Munnar and beating No. 5 American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-6 (12). He was chasing his fourth final of the season.
Phils are still leaving Brussels with their highlights. His 100 points from the semifinals will move him up to No. 8 in the rankings on Monday. He also moves into seventh place in the Race to Turin, overtaking Francis Tiafoe.
On Sunday, Struff will meet Griekspur in the finals of the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open. Greekspur have won all three meetings, most recently 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7) last year in Doha. “Of course I have to recover,” Straff said. “I will try to be in the best shape in the final”
