Zizou Bergs made a winning start at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open in Brussels, defeating Britain's Toby Samuel 6-3, 7-6(3) in 88 minutes to progress to the second round.
Playing in front of his home crowd, the Belgian produced a composed performance to maintain his momentum after an impressive run of results, including his recent victory over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz at the Shanghai Masters.
Bergs admitted that the support from the crowd initially distracted him, while jet lag also presented a challenge following his travels. However, he managed to regain his focus and close out the match in the second-set tie-break.
"I felt very happy to see you all," Bergs said during his on-court interview, acknowledging the support from the Belgian fans.
The 2026 Eastbourne champion is now targeting another title this season and will look to improve on his early exit at last year's Brussels event. He will face either Dino Prizmic or Damir Dzumhur in the next round.
Elsewhere, Tallon Griekspoor battled through a three-set encounter to defeat German teenager Max Schoenhaus 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 7-5. The victory was only the Dutchman's second in his last seven matches, providing a timely boost after a difficult run of form.
Griekspoor, who reached the final in Dubai earlier this year, will next meet eighth seed Mariano Navone as he looks to build consistency in the Belgian capital.
Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff also advanced after overcoming Marcos Giron 7-6(3), 7-6(3). Both sets went to tie-breaks, but Struff held his nerve to secure a straight-sets victory.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Clement Chidekh celebrated a significant milestone by recording his first tour-level win. He defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-1, 6-4, controlling the match to book his place in the next round.
With Bergs leading the home challenge and several players making progress, the opening rounds in Brussels have already delivered closely contested matches and notable milestones as the tournament continues.
