By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 18, 2025
Photo credit: European Open Facebook
Jiri Lehecka is back in the Belgium final.
The third-seeded Lehecka squeezed out a 7-6(3), 7-6(7) semifinal win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard today to return to the European Open final for the second straight year.
It is Lehecka’s third final of the season following trips to the Brisbane and Queen’s Club title matches.
“It is always tough to prepare for these kinds of matches,” Lehecka said. “You have to concentrate 100 per cent each point as you don’t know what is coming.
“[Mpetshi Perricard] has such a good serve. For me, the most important thing was to stay focused on my service games and wait for the chances.”
A year ago, Lehecka fell to Roberto Bautista Agut in the European Open final staged in Antwerp. The tournament moved to Brussels this year and the Czech picked right up where he left off.
Lehecka withstood 19 aces from the 6’7″ Frenchman today and countered with 11 aces of his own against no double faults in an 89-minute triumph.
World No. 17 Lehecka joins Diego Schwartzman as the only men to reach multiple European Open fianls.
Lehecka will play for his third career championship in tomorrow’s final against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The second-seeded Auger-Aliassime ended the inspired run of home hero Raphael Collignon 7-6(2), 6-4.
“I had a great opponent in front of me and he was inspired by playing at home,” said Auger-Aliassime, the 2022 European Open Antwerp champion. “I knew it could be the toughest challenge of the week so far. He has been playing great for the past few weeks and months.
“It was really fun to play, high intensity. It was a pleasure to be a part of that and this week and we have one more to go tomorrow.”
US Open semifinalist Auger-Aliassime reached his fourth final of the season and first since he fell to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Dubai title match in February. Auger-Aliassme, who is 14-3 in his last 17 matches, is bidding for his third title of 2025 after winning Montpellier and Adelaide.
Today, the Canadian did not face a break point defeating the 90th-ranked Belgian Collignon.
In today’s second-set tiebreaker, Lehecka saved a set point at 6-7 with a bold serve then threw down a smash for a second match point.
The towering Frenchman tried to serve-and-volley but Lehecka laced a forehand pass to end the match and secure his return to the final.
