Tallon Griekspoor Shocks Bastad Crowd – Saves Five Match Points in Epic Comeback Win

Dutch ace Tallon Griekspoor mounted one of the comebacks of the 2025 ATP season on Wednesday night in Båstad, erasing five match points to topple Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 and book his spot in the Nordea Open quarter-finals. H2: Five-Point Houdini Act Down 6-3 in the second-set tiebreak, the world No. 29 rifled two fearless forehand winners, forced a pair of Pellegrino errors and capped the surge with a 206 km/h ace up the T. The escape ignited a nine-game run that flipped the match and electrified Sweden’s west-coast crowd. H2: All-Dutch Showdown Next Griekspoor’s reward is a Friday quarter-final against countryman Jesper de Jong, who upset eighth seed Vit Kopriva earlier in the day. De Jong leads their head-to-head 1-0 after a February indoor clash in Montpellier, giving the 28-year-old Griekspoor extra motivation to level the series and keep the Dutch flag flying deep into the clay-court swing. H2: Momentum After Wimbledon Heartbreak The dramatic victory comes barely two weeks after a self-described “scandalous” first-round exit at Wimbledon, where Griekspoor’s serve deserted him against Jensen Brooksby. The quick reset underscores the mental resilience that already delivered tour titles in Pune, Washington and Mallorca over the past two seasons. H2: Ranking Stakes and US-Hard-Court Preview A semifinal berth in Båstad would nudge Griekspoor back toward the Top 25 and boost confidence ahead of the North-American hard-court swing, where he is entered in Atlanta and the ATP 500 in Washington—scene of his maiden 2023 title. With 180 ranking points coming off next month, every clay-court win in Sweden is gold-dust for his US Open seeding. H2: Tactical Keys vs De Jong • First-serve percentage: Griekspoor cracked 13 aces on Wednesday but landed just 57 % of first serves; raising that above 65 % will blunt De Jong’s return game. • Forehand aggression: The world No. 75 lives off baseline rhythm. Expect Griekspoor to step inside the court early, deploying his heavy forehand to break patterns. • Net forays: The Dutch No. 1 won 16 of 20 points at net against Pellegrino—an under-used weapon that can shorten rallies on the slow Scandinavian clay. H2: What They Said “It was pure survival mode,” Griekspoor told courtside reporters. “I kept telling myself to swing freely—those last five points felt like I had nothing to lose.” De Jong was equally bullish: “Beating Tallon indoors gave me belief. On clay it’s a new battle, but I know his game and I’m ready.” H2: How to Watch The all-Dutch quarter-final is scheduled not before 17:00 local (15:00 UTC) on Centrecourt. Live coverage will stream on Tennis TV and select regional broadcasters, with ATP LiveScore and official social channels providing point-by-point updates. H2: Fast Facts • Career record in deciding sets: Griekspoor 46-27 (63 %). • Break-point saves in 2025: 65 %, sixth on tour. • Nordea Open champions since 2015 include Nadal, Ruud and Cerúndolo—highlighting its pedigree as a launchpad for summer success. H2: Outlook If Griekspoor reproduces Wednesday’s clutch serving and fearless shot-making, Båstad could mark the springboard that transforms a middling summer into another trophy hunt. A victory over De Jong would leave either Camilo Ugo Carabelli or top seed Sebastián Báez between the Dutchman and his first clay-court final of 2025—a scenario that suddenly looks far less improbable after his five-match-point miracle on Sweden’s sun-kissed coast.