Bublik battles past Struff to finalize Rotterdam quarter-final field, De Minaur and FAA cruise
Third-seeded Alexander Bublik overcame a second-set lapse to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff on Thursday night, rounding out a high-powered quarter-final lineup in Rotterdam as home favorites Botic van de Zandschulp and Tallon Griekspoor also secured their spots in the final eight.
Alex de Minaur, Rotterdam 2026 | © Imago / PsNewz
The second round of the ABN Amro Open in Rotterdam concluded on Thursday with a flurry of action that finalized an intriguing quarterfinal lineup. The final player to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals was the third seed, Alexander Bublik.
The Kazakh star, currently ranked number 10 in the world, endured a grueling three-set battle against German Jan-Lennard Struff on Thursday evening. Bublik eventually prevailed with a 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3 victory, showcasing his trademark variety and resilience. This win followed an even more dramatic opening round for the Kazakh, where he managed to edge out the dangerous Hubert Hurkacz in a match defined by late-game momentum shifts and a scoreline of 6-7 (2), 7-6 (1), 7-5.
Struff, who entered the match ranked number 82, had looked sharp earlier in the week after a dominant 6-0, 6-4 win over Frenchman Hugo Grenier, but he could not find a way past Bublik in the deciding set. Bublik now moves forward to face Spaniard Jaume Munar in what promises to be a clash of contrasting styles.
Earlier in the day, top seed Alex De Minaur continued his pursuit of the title with a convincing performance against a veteran of the game. The Australian world number 8 dispatched Swiss great Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday evening.
De Minaur has looked in top form throughout the tournament, having previously overcome Frenchman Arthur Fils in a competitive 7-6 (3), 6-2 encounter in the first round. For the 40-year-old Wawrinka, currently ranked number 106, the tournament was still a significant milestone, highlighted by his opening victory against 17-year-old Dutchman Thijs Boogaard with a score of 6-3, 6-4. De Minaur’s reward for his efficiency is a quarterfinal matchup against a home favorite, Botic van de Zandschulp.
De Minaur and Auger-Aliassime in form
Felix Auger-Aliassime has been clinical thus far, moving into the last eight with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Serbian talent Hamad Medjedovic on Thursday evening. The Canadian world number 6 has been serving exceptionally well, a trend that began in his first-round win over Australian Alexei Popyrin, where he won 7-5, 6-3. Medjedovic, ranked number 79, had entered the match with momentum after winning two tiebreaks against Zizou Bergs in the opening round, but Auger-Aliassime proved too consistent from the baseline.
The Dutch presence in the quarterfinals is strong, as local fans saw two of their players advance. Botic van de Zandschulp, ranked number 65, produced one of the most impressive results of the afternoon by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6 (4). Van de Zandschulp was steady under pressure, especially in the second-set tiebreak, to neutralize the Greek star.
Tsitsipas, ranked number 32, had reached the second round by beating the eighth seed Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-3, but he found the Dutchman a hurdle too high. Van de Zandschulp had opened his campaign by defeating Frenchman Luka Pavlovic 7-6 (5), 6-3. He will now carry the hopes of the Rotterdam crowd into his match with De Minaur.
The other half of the Dutch duo is Tallon Griekspoor, the seventh seed. Griekspoor had already secured his spot in the quarterfinals on Wednesday evening by surviving a tense encounter with Frenchman Quentin Halys, winning 7-5, 7-6 with an 11-9 tiebreak score.
Griekspoor, world number 27, had previously beaten Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-4. Halys, ranked number 77, had reached that stage after coming from a set down to beat another Dutchman, Mees Rottgering, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. Griekspoor will face a formidable opponent in the next round: the second seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Upsets in the Medvedev part
In a section of the draw that was blown wide open by the early exit of fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, surprises continued to multiply. Jaume Munar of Spain, ranked number 37, reached the quarterfinals by knocking out the fifth seed Karen Khachanov on Thursday. Munar won the encounter 7-6 (8), 3-6, 6-3, showing great mental strength to recover after losing the second set.
Munar had previously defeated Norwegian Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 6-1, 6-3. Khachanov, world number 18, had faced a difficult path from the start, needing three sets to move past Dutchman Jesper De Jong in the first round with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Munar will now prepare for his clash with Alexander Bublik.
Finally, Frenchman Ugo Humbert continued his resurgence in the tournament. Humbert, ranked number 36, followed up his massive first-round upset of Daniil Medvedev with a professional 6-4, 6-3 win over Dutchman Guy Den Ouden on Thursday. Humbert’s victory over Medvedev, where he won 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3, remains one of the tournament highlights.
Den Ouden, world number 169, had delighted the home crowd in the round of 32 by beating Marton Fucsovics 7-6 (5), 6-1, but he could not replicate that level against Humbert. The Frenchman will now face Australian Christopher O’Connell in the quarterfinals. With the seeds having survived some scares and the underdogs finding their stride, the ABN Amro Open is perfectly set for a weekend of elite tennis.
