Two Dutch tennis players to face each other in Australian Open

Tallon Griekspoor convincingly qualified for the second round of the Australian Open. He will face Botic van de Zandschulp on Wednesday. It is the first time since 2001 that two Dutch tennis players face off in a grand slam.

Griekspoor, the number 2 in the Netherlands, defeated the Russian Pavel Kotov 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-3. It was the fifth victory of the year for the 26-year-old tennis player. He took the title in his first tournament of the season in Pune, India. The number 63 in the world has only lost one set.

Earlier in the day, Van de Zandschulp beat Ila Ivashka from Belarus in four sets. As a result, it comes to a Dutch face-off. For the first time since 2001, two Dutch tennis players will compete against each other in a grand slam.

Griekspoor and Van de Zandschulp met each other in the final of the Dutch championship in mid-December. At the National Tennis Center in Amstelveen, Van de Zandschulp won 7-6 (5) 7-5.

Last year, Griekspoor, who ended his collaboration with coach Raemon Sluiter at the end of last year, also managed to survive the opening round in Melbourne. He then lost in the second round in a five-setter to Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.