Botic van de Zandschulp defeated Luka Pavlovic 7–6, 6–3 in the first round of the ATP 250 Rotterdam on hard court on 9 February 2026. Van de Zandschulp, the clear pre-match favourite at 1.18 odds, delivered an expected victory, though Pavlovic offered resistance in a competitive opening set that went to a tiebreak. The Dutch player's superior seeding and ranking advantage proved decisive as he controlled the second set to close out the match in straight sets. The result maintains van de Zandschulp's trajectory through the tournament and keeps his title hopes intact.