Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Halle match.
Flavio Cobolli is currently experiencing the most successful season of his career. The Italian has already claimed titles in Bucharest and Hamburg, but now faces a significantly tougher test in the form of Alexander Zverev, who has reached the semi-finals in Halle in each of the last two years.
Flavio Cobolli
Although Flavio Cobolli is clearly making strides, his record on grass remains underwhelming, with only five victories from ten matches since the beginning of 2023. Even in Halle this week, his path to the quarter-finals has been anything but smooth. Entering both matches against Joao Fonseca and Denis Shapovalov as the underdog, he needed three sets to overcome each opponent. Notably, he has already contested four tie-breaks at this tournament. Additionally, Cobolli has failed to take a single set in his last five encounters against top-five players. His first serve lacks bite — landing at 60% with 70% of points won — and his limited attacking tools make it difficult for him to threaten players at the highest level.
Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev is firmly focused on lifting trophies this season. While a Grand Slam remains out of reach for now, his consistency has stood out. He won the title in Munich and finished runner-up at the Australian Open, highlighting his strong form. So far this year, he has won 24 of 30 matches against players ranked between 20th and 50th. In his last outing against Lorenzo Sonego, he dropped the opening set but responded well to seal the victory in three. His first serve was a key weapon, landing 90% of the time and winning 82% of those points, alongside ten aces.
Flavio Cobolli vs Alexander Zverev Prediction
Alexander Zverev recently beat Flavio Cobolli in straight sets at Roland Garros (6:2, 7:6, 6:1). Unlike his match against Lorenzo Sonego, this contest is unlikely to go the distance. He is expected to defeat Cobolli by a margin of at least four games.
