It’s been a strong showing for the home crowd in Rotterdam this week, with Dutchmen Botic van de Zandschulp and Tallon Griekspoor both punching their tickets to the quarterfinals at the ABN AMRO Open. But with Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime standing in their way, the road forward only gets steeper from here.
(1) Alex de Minaur vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
Van de Zandschulp has been solid so far in front of the home fans, notching straight-set wins over Luka Pavlovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas. But now he faces a familiar-and frustrating-foe in Alex de Minaur. The Aussie has taken all three of their previous meetings, including a gritty three-set battle at the 2022 Davis Cup Finals and two more straightforward wins earlier last year, one of which came at the Australian Open.
De Minaur’s game is tailor-made for the quick indoor courts in Rotterdam. His movement, anticipation, and ability to absorb and redirect pace have made him a tough out here-he’s finished runner-up in each of the last two editions of this tournament. This week, he’s looked sharp again, cruising past Arthur Fils and Stan Wawrinka without dropping a set.
Van de Zandschulp, ranked No. 65, is playing some of his best tennis in months, but this matchup hasn’t been kind to him historically. De Minaur’s relentless baseline game has consistently neutralized the Dutchman’s power, forcing him into longer rallies and uncomfortable positions. Add in De Minaur’s growing confidence on this court, and the top seed is looking like a tough hurdle to clear.
(7) Tallon Griekspoor vs. (2) Felix Auger-Aliassime
Griekspoor has given the Dutch fans plenty to cheer about this week, taking out Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Quentin Halys to reach the quarters. But now comes the real test: Felix Auger-Aliassime, who’s been on an absolute tear indoors.
Auger-Aliassime is fresh off a title run in Montpellier-his ninth career ATP title, and eighth on an indoor hard court. He’s riding a six-match win streak and has looked every bit the part of a top-tier contender, dispatching Alexei Popyrin and Hamad Medjedovic with authority in his first two matches in Rotterdam.
His recent form includes a title in Brussels, a runner-up finish in Paris, and a semifinal appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals to close out 2025. Simply put, he’s been one of the best indoor players on the planet over the last few months.
This will be the third tour-level meeting between Griekspoor and Auger-Aliassime, with the head-to-head tied at 1-1. Both previous matchups came on grass-Auger-Aliassime edged a pair of tiebreaks in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2022, while Griekspoor got his revenge in Mallorca last summer with a straight-sets win.
But the surface shift here matters. Indoors, with the Canadian’s serve firing and his baseline game dialed in, Auger-Aliassime is a different kind of beast.
Griekspoor, ranked No. 27, came into Rotterdam with a rough 1-5 record on the season, so this run has already been a much-needed boost. But taking down a red-hot Auger-Aliassime indoors?
That’s a tall order. The Dutchman will need to be near flawless on serve and take his chances early in rallies-because if this one turns into a baseline grind, the edge swings heavily in the Canadian’s favor.
Bottom Line
It’s been a great week for Dutch tennis in Rotterdam, but both Van de Zandschulp and Griekspoor are now staring down two of the most in-form players on tour. De Minaur and Auger-Aliassime aren’t just top seeds-they’re playing like it. If the home favorites want to keep this run alive, they’ll need to summon their very best on Friday.