Tallon Griekspoor beats Botic Van de Zandschulp in all-Dutch match to reach the second round match in Montpellier - UBITENNIS

Tallon Griekspoor beats Botic Van de Zandschulp in all-Dutch match to reach the second round match in Montpellier

By sampaolo
5 Min Read

Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor beat his compatriot Botic Van de Zandschulp 7-5 6-3 after 95 minutes to reach the second round at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier. 

Griekspoor has achieved 24 indoor match wins since the start of the 2023 season. He trails only world number 1 Jannik Sinner for most match wins on the ATP Tour. 

Griekspoor wasted a break point in each set, but he won 18 of 24 points at the net. 

Griekspoor broke at love in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. Van de Zandschulp broke back in the ninth game and held serve at love to draw level to 5-5. Griekspoor broke for the second time in the 12th game to win the first set 7-5. 

Griekspoor saved three break points in the first game before breaking serve in the second game to open up a 2-0 lead. Van de Zandschulp broke straight back at love in the third game and held serve to draw level to 2-2. Griekspoor broke in the eighth game and sealed the second set 6-3 on the second match point. 

Griekspoor improved to 2-1 in his head-to-head matches against Van de Zandschulp. 

The Dutch player will face the winner of the all-French match between Adrian Mannarino and Richard Gasquet. 

“I have always played well here, felt well. I like the conditions. I like a roof above my head, the same as Rotterdam next week. It’s perfect for me to be here. It’s my first win of the season, a great day so far. It’s not very easy to play each other, we practise together every day when we are back home in Amsterdam. We know each other better than anyone else I guess, so that also makes it very tricky. I don’t think we played our best match, but that’s what happens when you know each other so other”, said Griekspoor. 

Christopher Eubanks edged past Alibek Kachmazov 7-5 6-4 to set up a second round match against Andrey Rublev, who will be looking to bounce back after losing to Joao Fonseca in the first round at the Australian Open. 

Arthur Cazaux beat former world number 3 Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-3 after 88 minutes. 

Cazaux won 85% of first service points. Wawrinka was unable to convert any of the two break points, when Cazaux was serving out the first set. Cazaux earned his first break in the opening game to win the first set 6-4. The Frenchman broke twice in the fifth and ninth games to win the second set 6-3. 

Cazaux will team up with Wawrinka in the doubles tournament. 

“It was such an honour for me to share the court with him today. Of course I watched him on TV when I was very young, when he won three Grand Slams. It was an honour, but it wasn’t easy for me because we talked together before the tournament about playing doubles and we also practised together two days ago. I am happy with my win today. I had to stay focused because he played better in the second set. He served better so it wasn’t easy for me to put pressure on his service games. I am pretty happy because I played a pretty good level during the whole match”, said Cazaux. 

Caxaux set up a second round match against Felix Auger Aliassime, who leads 2-0 in his previous head-to-head matches against his French opponent. 

Eight-seed Buyunchaokete beat German player Daniel Altmeier 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 in 1 hour and 42 minutes. Buyunchaokete saved two break points in the seventh game before winning winning a one-sided tie-break 7-1. The Chinese player broke twice to win the second set 6-3 setting up a second round match against Frenchman Constant Lestienne, who came back from 2-5 down to beat Croatia’s Borna Coric 6-3 7-5. 

Dominic Koepfer came back from 1-4 in the second set down to beat Gregoire Barrère 6-4 7-6 (7-5). Koepfer will take on fourth seed Alexander Bublik.  

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