Tallon Griekspoor has had a frustrating season, and one of his best victories of the year came with an added challenge. At the European Open in Brussels, the Dutchman was unhappy with the new court he was asked to play in the quarterfinals, and he made it known to the chair umpire before turning the match around.

The organizers moved the second half of the ATP 250 tournament from the ING Arena to Palais 5, another hall in the same Brussels Expo complex, from October 23. Griekspoor found the difference hard to accept. After dropping the first set 6-4 to second seed Jiri Lehecka, he complained to the umpire about the dimensions of the new court. 

“The court is three times as big to the side and three times as big to the back,” the Dutch was heard talking to the chair umpire. “We have a whole different court because of this. The speed of the court, I fully believe it, but why do we have different measurements of the side and the back? You know what I mean? It’s a completely different thing. I understand the whole moving thing, but why is the size of the court not the same as it is there?”

The reason was commercial: the ING Arena was booked for a series of concerts, with French rapper PLK on Saturday, the duo Djadja & Dinaz on Sunday and Duran Duran on Monday. It wasn’t the move itself that frustrated him, but the playing area was not the same as the previous court where he clinched his first two victories.

The entire setup of the tournament was transferred across the complex the same night, and every effort was being made to maintain conditions as consistent as possible. The change was already being described as bizarre, since it is rare for an ATP event to switch venues halfway through the week, especially on the eve of the business end of the tournament.

Griekspoor, former world No. 21 against current world No. 20 and Miami Open finalist Lehecka, showed he could put his complaints aside. He won the second set 6-4 and broke Lehecka at 3-2 in the third to secure a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win on his second match point. 

The Dutchman arrived in Brussels having lost in the first round at three straight tournaments in China, and his record for the year stood at 15 wins and 21 losses before the week began, therefore, it was a significant win for him.

Griekspoor began the tournament with a career-best 34 aces in a three-set win over German teenager Max Schönhaus, then beat eighth seed Mariano Navone 7-6(4), 7-5. By the end of the Lehecka match, his serve had become the key weapon of the week, and he has hit more than 50 aces in three matches. 

The result also ended Lehecka’s hopes of a third straight European Open final. The 24-year-old Czech has won 37 matches this year out of 56 matches he has played which more than any other Czech player (including players like Jakub Mensik, Tomas Machach), but unfortunately has not been able to win a title in 2026.

Griekspoor is now the lone Dutch hope in Brussels, since compatriot Botic van de Zandschulp lost in the first round to French qualifier Clément Chidekh. Next up is Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo, ranked No. 21, who has not dropped a set this week and has won two titles in 2026, in Buenos Aires and London. Cerúndolo leads their head-to-head 1-0, having beaten Griekspoor in three sets at the Miami Open this year. The semifinal is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. local time.

Argentina’s No. 21 Francisco Cerúndolo, who hasn’t dropped a set this week, will next take on at the World Cup in 2026, in Buenos Aires and London. Cerúndolo leads their head-to-head 1-0, having beaten Griekspoor in three sets at the 2022 Miami Open. The semi-final will be played on Saturday at 4 pm local time.

A win would put Griekspoor in his first final since June 2025, when he won the grass-court title in Mallorca. He is currently standing at No. 60 in the world rankings – a victory would put him around world No. 45, closer to his career-best ranking, world No. 21, which he reached in 2023. 

The tournament is only in its second year in Brussels after nearly a decade in Antwerp, and it is still settling into a venue shared with concerts and trade shows. Brussels needs to prove itself worthy of being the host before the venue is changed, amid rising complaints.