Droguet serves up masterclass to stun Griekspoor and reach first ATP semifinal
Titouan Droguet delivered the performance of his career on Friday evening at the Open Occitanie, upsetting the fourth seed Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1) to reach his maiden ATP Tour semifinal.
Titouan Droguet, Montpellier 2026 | © Open Occitanie / JB Autissier
Titouan Droguet delivered the performance of his career on Friday evening at the Open Occitanie, upsetting the fourth seed Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1) to reach his maiden ATP Tour semifinal. The 24-year-old Frenchman, currently ranked world No. 150, produced a serving clinic on the Montpellier indoor hard courts, hammering 21 aces to dismantle the world No. 29 in one hour and 48 minutes of high-octane tennis.
The victory marks a significant milestone for the former world No. 130, who entered the contest with a 5-4 career record at the tour level. Droguet’s previous best result was a quarterfinal appearance in Umag last year, and he had only one Top 50 win to his name – his famous five-set upset of Lorenzo Musetti at the 2023 US Open.
By taking down the Dutchman, Droguet is now projected to climb to a new career-high ranking of approximately No. 120 on Monday, potentially rising further if his dream run continues.
Auger-Aliassime next
The match was defined by Droguet’s refusal to yield on serve. Despite Griekspoor’s pedigree as a three-time ATP titlist, the Dutchman was unable to find a rhythm against the Frenchman’s barrage of 21 aces.
Droguet showed immense mental fortitude in the tiebreaks, particularly in the second set where he raced to a 7-1 finish to seal the win. His path to the semifinals has been a gauntlet of resilience; he previously edged out eighth seed and 2025 riunner-up Aleksandar Kovacevic 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 and defeated Jan Choinski 6-2, 7-6 (2) earlier in the week.
Griekspoor, who had reached the quarterfinals after a solid 6-4, 6-4 win over Pablo Carreno Busta, found no answers to the local favorite’s aggression. Droguet now sets his sights on a Saturday showdown with top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Frenchman will look to capitalize on his home-court advantage as he pursues his first ATP final.
