Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Halle match.
Although Andrey Rublev and Sebastian Ofner have both been active on the tour for over a decade, this will be their first ever head-to-head encounter. The Russian currently sits more than 100 places above the Austrian in the rankings, yet the overall market suggests only a moderate difference in quality between the two.
Andrey Rublev
While the 2025 campaign has not been without its setbacks, Andrey Rublev delivered a solid performance at Roland Garros, reaching the fourth round before losing to world number one Jannik Sinner in straight sets (1:6, 3:6, 4:6). It wasn’t a particularly close contest, but even Carlos Alcaraz has found it difficult to halt Jannik Sinner’s momentum of late. Last year on grass, Rublev was eliminated in the opening round in both Halle and Wimbledon. However, that doesn’t paint the full picture—during the 2023 season, he reached the final in Halle and made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, proving his potential on the surface.
Sebastian Ofner
Sebastian Ofner’s last opponent was another Russian, Karen Khachanov. The Austrian pushed the 24th seed to four sets at Roland Garros before fading in the decider (5:7, 6:3, 5:7, 6:4, 2:6). Of note, Ofner had beaten Karen Khachanov just prior to Paris at the Geneva warm-up event, coming from behind to win 4:6, 6:4, 6:4. Regarding his grass-court form, Ofner progressed through Halle qualifying, including a straight-sets victory over promising 17-year-old German Justin Engel (6:4, 6:4). That said, Justin Engel’s age and experience level should be factored into any evaluation.
Andrey Rublev vs Sebastian Ofner Prediction
Taking on Andrey Rublev will be a significantly tougher challenge for Sebastian Ofner. Rublev’s career record includes 29 wins on grass, suggesting he is comfortable on the surface, and his current form—both physically and mentally—appears stable. We expect Andrey Rublev to secure a straight-sets victory, which underpins our combined selection.
