Fearnley prevails in Stockholm tiebreak thriller
Jacob Fearnley turned the tables on Tallon Griekspoor with a gritty comeback in the deciding tiebreak, securing revenge at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open and signaling his growing poise on the indoor circuit.
Under the enclosed hum of Stockholm‘s indoor arena, Jacob Fearnley faced a familiar foe on Monday at the 2025 BNP Paribas Nordic Open. The 24-year-old Briton, ranked No. 79 in the PIF ATP Rankings, sought to erase the sting of last year’s second-round defeat to Tallon Griekspoor. What emerged was a two-hour, 44-minute battle of wills, where the fifth seed’s power met Fearnley’s calculated aggression on the fast hard courts.
Early breaks set vengeful tone
Fearnley drew on prior lessons to seize the first set, breaking at 4-3 with an inside-out forehand that skimmed the baseline and forced Griekspoor into a hurried crosscourt lob. The Dutchman’s baseline thumps, usually dominant, skimmed low off the surface, allowing the Scot to dictate with deep returns and one–two serves that pinned his opponent wide. This edge carried him to a 6-3 win, the crowd’s rising murmurs underscoring the shift in momentum.
The second set intensified as Griekspoor ramped up his returns, leveling at 3-3 before pushing to a tiebreak. Fearnley clawed back from two set points down, but a backhand slice floated long at 6-6, handing the Dutchman a 7-6(6) edge. Despite the setback, the Briton’s focus sharpened, his footwork quickening on the slick deck to counter the mounting pressure.
“That was very tough. I thought things were going fairly comfortably up until 5/3 when I was serving for it, and I got a little bit tight,” said Fearnley in his on-court interview. “To be fair to Tallon, he competed hard and upped his level when he needed to. It was just a war until the end. Huge respect to Tallon, but happy to be through.”
Pure tenacity @jakefearnley01 gains revenge for a Stockholm ‘24 defeat with a 6-3 6-7(6) 7-6(5) epic [5] Griekspoor@sthlm_open | #bnppnordicopen pic.twitter.com/Yfkun2KLND
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 13, 2025
Tiebreak nerves forge victory
The third set locked into a serve hold stalemate until 5-5, the air thickening with each baseline exchange. Serving to force the tiebreak at 5-4, Fearnley unleashed an ace down the T, but the real test came in the breaker where he bolted to 6/2, only to drop four straight points—including two on his delivery—as Griekspoor fired inside-in forehands to jam the backhand wing. Regaining composure, the Briton fired a crosscourt winner to close 7-6(5), his serve anchoring the upset despite yielding 32 winners to the Dutchman’s 34.
Fearnley’s first delivery proved unbreachable, claiming 78 per cent of points (45/58), a tactical bulwark that neutralized Griekspoor’s deeper returns and turned short points into his advantage. The indoor tempo amplified every thud and slip, yet he adapted with underspin slices to vary pace, pulling his rival off-balance in the decider’s heat. This resilience not only evened their ATP Head2Head at 1-1 but highlighted his evolution in high-pressure indoor play.
Swedish brothers await next test
With the revenge complete, Fearnley turns to the second round, where he’ll meet the winner of home wild cards Mikael Ymer and Elias Ymer, whose Tuesday clash promises sibling intensity on the same swift courts. The brothers’ flat strokes could demand more net approaches from the Scot, building on his tiebreak poise to navigate local fervor. Earlier, Miomir Kecmanovic ignited the day by routing sixth seed Alexandre Muller in straight sets, snapping a four-match skid and lining up against Tomas Martin Etcheverry or qualifier Mark Lajal, keeping the underdog surge alive as the week builds.
This Stockholm statement positions Fearnley for the tour’s closing stretch, where mental edges like his could propel further climbs amid the season’s fading light.
