The fourth edition of the European Open evolved into an absolute dream final: Stan Wawrinka vs. Andy Murray.
Today, the sold-out Lotto Arena was the scene of a battle for the coveted final spots. In the singles, Stan Wawrinka first triumphed. The Swiss defeated Jannik Sinner in two relatively smooth sets: 6-3 and 6-2.
“This was undoubtedly my best match this week,” Wawrinka said afterwards. “I’m super happy to be in the finals and know that if I play well, I can beat anyone. I feel the support of the Belgian audience and I feel welcome here in Antwerp.”
This goes for Andy Murray who overcame a stern test from Ugo Humbert. Murray came back from one set down to beat the young Frenchman with a score of 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
“It was tricky today, Humbert’s a good mover and he served well. But it felt as if the momentum was with me during the second set. “I will try my hardest tomorrow, so it would be great to win. And if not, it has been a great week here in Antwerp.” Murray stated after the match.
Wawrinka’s looking forward to tomorrow’s match: “I have a lot of respect for Andy Murray and all that he has achieved in his career. He’s one of the greatest champions tennis has ever known. It will undoubtedly be an exciting final.”
Exit last Belgians
The Belgian public crossed their fingers this morning and hoped that Sander Gillé and Joran Vliegen could also obtain their ticket to the final, but the Belgians had to acknowledge the superior tennis of the second seeds.
“It’s one of the first times that we played in front of so many Belgians”, the duo looked back on a great week. “Of course, we would have loved to end our tournament differently, but it was a close call. Off course we are very grateful to everyone who has come to support us.”