Lehecka Returns to Brussels Final – Tennis Now
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.
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 either second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime or 90th-ranked Belgian Raphael 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.
