Jan-Lennard Struff, 36, rallied past top-seeded Arthur Fils in Belgium, claiming a 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-6(5) victory to set up a final with Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.
The 22-year-old Fils came through a tense second set and even served for the match in the third, but the German would not be denied.
“It was an unreal match,” he said. “It was a very tough match. I managed to come back down from a break twice [in the third]. It means a lot – it’s always special to play a final – I’m just happy.”
Struff, who reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in July, continues to prove that he can hang with the best in the sport at the age of 36.
The German reached his fifth ATP final, and his first on hard courts. He is the first German finalist in tournament history, and the second-oldest to reach the title round. Struff has now earned three Top 10 wins in 2026.
He won 82 percent of his first-serve points and played the big points better than the Frenchman.
It must be said that Fils hit the shot of the match in the sixth game of the third set, a wicked tweener winner that sailed past Stuff down the line.
Struff didn’t let it bother him, even when he had his back against the wall late in the third.
“It’s just never quitting and just trying one more time, just fighting and hanging in there,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Griekspoor edged third-seeded Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) to set up the all-unseeded final. Cerundolo had a chance to serve for the match against the Dutchman in the third set before falling in a tiebreak.
Griekspoor leads Struff 3-0 in their lifetime head-to-head, with wins at the 2021 US Open (in five sets), 2024 Davis Cup Finals (in three sets) and 2025 Doha (in two tiebreaks).
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