Orange-clad Russian Top Seed Lends Tallon Griekspoor a Hand Towards Roland Garros

The Russian tennis star had to dig deep in the Masters tournament quarter-final against Spanish sensation Martin Landaluce. The 20-year-old world number 94 had posed a significant challenge to Griekspoor's Roland Garros preparations and seemed poised for an upset against top player Medvedev. He took the first set but ultimately allowed the Russian to escape with a 2-1 victory. This result guarantees Griekspoor a seeded spot at Roland Garros.

Had Landaluce won the ATP 1000 tournament in Rome, Griekspoor would have been unseeded at the Grand Slam in Paris. The Spaniard had already reached the quarter-finals and still had a long road ahead, especially with Jannik Sinner still in the tournament, but reaching the semi-finals could have made things very tense for the Dutchman. With Landaluce now eliminated, Griekspoor can finally rest easy.

Theoretically, Griekspoor could still drop to 34th in the rankings, but with world-class players Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti already confirmed to miss Roland Garros due to injuries, Griekspoor is assured of a top-32 seeding for the French Grand Slam on the famed red clay. The Dutch top tennis player is currently in Bordeaux, making his final preparations for the lucrative tournament.

On Thursday, he advanced to the second round. He was able to compete in Bordeaux because he himself was eliminated in the second round in Rome by Belgian sensation Alexander Blockx. Along with compatriot Botic van de Zandschulp, Griekspoor is representing the Netherlands in the French city. Both are also guaranteed a spot in the main draw in Paris, where Jesper de Jong will also feature. In the qualifiers, a fourth Dutchman will make his Grand Slam debut.

Meanwhile, the Masters tournament is entering its final stages. The men's semi-finals will feature Sinner vs. Medvedev and Casper Ruud vs. Luciano Darderi.