Lehecka, Last Year’s Finalist, Sparks An Audacious Revenge Quest in Brussels
Czech Star Defeats #NextGenATP Bailly; Collignon Secures First ATP Tour Quarter-Final
October 15, 2025
Jasper Jacobs/Getty Images
Jiri Lehecka Rises to 5-1 at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open.
By Jerome Coombe
The BNP Paribas Fortis European Open may have moved its venue from Antwerp to Brussels this year, but nothing can derail Jiri Lehecka’s pursuit of the title on the indoor hard courts.
As the third seed and last year’s runner-up, Lehecka launched his campaign on Wednesday with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory over #NextGenATP star Gilles Arnaud Bailly, propelling him into the quarter-finals. With 11 aces, Lehecka notched his 27th hard-court win of the season, ranking among the top five players on the ATP Tour.
W🌎RLD CLASS
No.3 seed @jirilehecka dazzles with a 6-3 6-2 victory over [Q] Bailly @BNPPFEUOpen | #BNPPFEuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/fJEaJi6QgS
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 15, 2025
“Last year was fantastic for me here,” Lehecka stated, now sporting a 5-1 record at this Belgian ATP 250 event, as detailed in the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. “Playing in front of Belgian fans is wonderful, and I’m pleased with how I performed today.”
Young talent Bailly, aged just 18, earned his first ATP Tour win against Daniel Altmaier earlier in the week, climbing five spots to 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. However, he found it challenging to keep pace with World No. 17 Lehecka, who stands just a position shy of his career-high No. 16.
Progressing into his seventh tour-level quarter-final of the season, Lehecka will next face Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, who triumphed over compatriot Valentin Royer 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1.
In a thrilling display, Belgian wild card Raphael Collignon continued to impress on home soil, overcoming Francisco Comesana in a nail-biting 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(10) match to secure his first ATP Tour quarter-final. The 23-year-old surged up the PIF ATP Live Rankings to No. 79, exceeding his previous best of No. 81.
Catch Collignon’s breathtaking third-set tie-break victory:
Next, he will challenge fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who fought back after a shaky start to defeat Marcos Giron 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4, reaching his impressive seventh quarter-final of the season.
Meanwhile, qualifiers Yannick Hanfmann and Nikoloz Basilashvili, who are tied with Ethan Quinn for the most qualifications (8) on the ATP Tour this season, both advanced to the second round on Wednesday. Hanfmann clawed past Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4 to set up a meeting with top seed Lorenzo Musetti, while Basilashvili dispatched Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-4.
Damir Dzumhur secured his place in the next round against second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime after edging out #NextGenATP wild card Federico Cina 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(3). The young 18-year-old Cina maintains a promising 14th position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, holding an outside shot at making his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah this December.
