Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP 's-Hertogenbosch match.
Since 2023, Alexei Popyrin has consistently started strong at the ‘s-Hertogenbosch tournament, using his big serve and aggressive baseline play to full effect on the fast grass courts. For Zizou Bergs, the switch to grass has proven trickier — he barely scraped past a player ranked outside the top 200 in the opening round and has yet to display the level required at ATP main-draw events.
Alexei Popyrin
The Australian enjoyed his best grass-court campaign last year, winning five of eight matches. His serve was a key weapon, averaging 12 aces per match with a first-serve success rate of 72% and winning 76% of those points. Notably, since 2023, Popyrin has won all four of his opening-round matches on grass — an indicator of his ability to settle quickly into the surface each season.
Zizou Bergs
While Bergs holds a respectable 21-9 career record on grass, most of those wins came at Challenger level. In ATP events and Wimbledon, he has failed to string together back-to-back victories — falling short of the third round in five straight appearances. In ‘s-Hertogenbosch, his tournament began in unconvincing fashion with a narrow win over unknown quantity Alexander Blockx (6:3, 1:6, 7:6), a match where the Belgian hit 12 double faults and looked vulnerable on serve throughout.
Alexei Popyrin vs Zizou Bergs Prediction
Popyrin is clearly more comfortable on grass and looks far better prepared for this part of the season. His dominant first serve and consistency in early rounds give him the upper hand, especially against a player like Bergs who’s yet to find rhythm or confidence. Expect the Australian to take care of business here.
