Jan-Lennard Struff stopped top seed Arthur Fils 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-6(5) on Saturday to reach the Brussels final after twice recovering a deciding-set break.
The 36-year-old German will face Tallon Griekspoor for the European Open title on Sunday, with both finalists surviving third-set tiebreaks in their semifinals.
Fils served for the match at 5-4 in the decider, but Struff broke back and eventually converted his first match point, Tennis Majors reported.
That recovery followed an earlier escape from 0-2 in the third set. Struff refused to let either setback settle a contest repeatedly moving against him.
The second set had already offered a test of his composure. Fils took its tiebreak 9-7, extending a match Struff had threatened to finish.
For Struff, the decisive difference was keeping the final set competitive after losing that opportunity. His two breaks back prevented Fils from protecting either advantage.
Struff won 82 percent of his first-serve points, according to Tennis Now. That platform helped him remain dangerous even when the scoreline turned against him.
The result sends him into his fifth ATP Tour final and his first on hard courts, adding a different milestone to his late-career run.
His previous title came in Munich in 2024. Brussels now offers another chance to lift a trophy, although the final presents a difficult matchup.
Griekspoor has won all three of their previous meetings. Their most recent encounter, in Doha last year, was decided by two tiebreaks rather than comfortable margins.
That history makes serve protection particularly important on Sunday. Struff’s semifinal showed the value of staying close enough to make the last few points matter.
Griekspoor earned his place by beating third seed Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), leaving the tournament with an unseeded final after two demanding semifinals.
Cerundolo also had an opportunity to serve out his match. Both finalists therefore arrive with evidence that they can recover when an opponent approaches the finish.
Recovery will matter before another pressure match. Neither player reached the title round through a straightforward semifinal, and both needed a deciding-set tiebreak to advance.
For Struff, Sunday’s challenge is clear: carry his first-serve effectiveness into the final while ending a head-to-head losing run against an opponent equally tested on Saturday.
