ABN Amro Open Rotterdam 2023 Report

As he does every year, tournament director Richard Krajicek once again managed to present a fantastic lineup for the 2023 ABN Amro Open Rotterdam. With Botic van de Zandschulp, Tallon Griekspoor, Tim van Rijthoven, and Gijs Brouwer, not only were four Dutch players in the main draw, but no fewer than eight players from the world's top 15 came to Ahoy to once again provide the Dutch public with the best and most exciting tennis matches.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev were the first and second seeds, respectively, and Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Hubert Hurkacz, and defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime were also in the lineup. Add to that the presence of veterans like Stan Wawrinka, Roberto Bautista-Agut, and Richard Gasquet, and other crowd-pleasers like Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Bublik, and you've already got a tournament to savor. The fact that players like Sinner and Alex de Minaur weren't among the seeded players in this tournament also speaks volumes about the strong field.

Highlights ABN Amro Open Rotterdam 2023

It was certainly a tournament to savor, thanks in part to the Dutch team's dedication. While Van Rijthoven unfortunately had to leave the tournament after the first round after a three-set defeat to American Maxime Cressy, Van de Zandschulp, Griekspoor, and Brouwer managed to reach the second round. They were too strong for Quentin Halys, Mikael Ymer, and Marc-Andrea Huesler. David Goffin will not have fond memories of the 2023 ABN Amro Open Rotterdam. Our Belgian neighbor was eliminated in straight sets by qualifier Grégoire Barrère (6-0/7-6).

The second round was a thrilling one for the Dutch fans. Unfortunately, Van de Zandschulp was forced to retire after a 6-2, 6-2 defeat to Medvedev, but for both Griekspoor and Brouwer, it was a match they won't soon forget. Griekspoor, who won his first ATP title in Pune a few weeks before the 2023 ABN Amro Open Rotterdam, faced top-ranked German Zverev. He lost the first set 6-4, but thanks to a stunning comeback – he eventually won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 – he still advanced to the quarterfinals of the ^50th ABN Amro Open in Rotterdam.

Brewer pulls off a stunt against Rune

While Griekspoor's victory over Zverev was already considered a major upset, Brouwer then took things up a notch. Brouwer, then ranked 160th in the world, was set to face Rune, the Dane who was then ranked ninth in the world. Brouwer made a huge impression and remained unwavering under all circumstances, while Rune was visibly irritated by the spectators in Ahoy. The Dutchman surprisingly won the first set 6-4, and when Brouwer was up 4-0 in the second set, Rune surrendered, and the world number 160 managed to advance to the quarterfinals. There he faced Griekspoor, meaning that a Dutchman would definitely reach the semifinals of the 2023 ABN Amro Open Rotterdam. This match was won by Griekspoor with a score of 6-4/6-4, who then narrowly lost in the semi-final to the Italian talent Sinner (7-5/7-6).

Final ABN Amro Open Rotterdam 2023

Thus, Sinner reached the final of the 2023 ABN Amro Open Rotterdam, where he faced Daniil Medvedev, who, after Van de Zandschulp, had also defeated defending champion Auger-Aliassime (quarterfinals) and Dimitrov (semifinals). Under the watchful eye of numerous fans, including King Willem-Alexander, the two played a high-quality final. While the 21-year-old Italian narrowly won the first set (7-5), Sinner's energy level ran low as the match progressed. Medvedev, however, kept going where he left off, winning both the second and third sets 6-2, thus winning the tournament. Thus, Medvedev, in his fifth appearance in the tournament, became the first winner of the 2023 ABN Amro Open Rotterdam.