Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Halle match.
Following a strong start to the grass-court season, Alexander Zverev continues his bid for the title with a second-round encounter against Lorenzo Sonego. Tournament organisers granted Zverev an additional day of rest after his run to the final in Stuttgart—an advantage he made full use of in the first round, dismantling his opponent with ease and underlining his strong form. However, this next match is expected to be a more demanding test, with Sonego arriving with renewed motivation.
Lorenzo Sonego
Currently ranked No. 46 in the ATP rankings, Lorenzo Sonego produced an impressive opening-round performance against Jan-Lennard Struff, cruising to a 6:3, 6:2 win with near-flawless efficiency. He landed 77% of his first serves and won 84% of those points. Despite this, his track record against top-10 opponents remains a concern, with only six wins in 37 attempts, and just two of those coming against top-5 players. He has also lost all four of his previous meetings with Alexander Zverev, making this another daunting challenge. Moreover, grass is not a successful surface for Lorenzo Sonego—since the start of 2023, he has won only six of 14 matches on it.
Alexander Zverev
World No. 3 Alexander Zverev has looked sharp on grass this season, averaging a 73% first-serve rate, winning 77% of points on his first delivery, and hitting an average of nine aces per match. All five of his grass-court matches this year have ended in straight-set victories. He enters this fixture as the clear favourite, particularly given his impressive second-round record—only five eliminations at this stage across 30 appearances. In his opening match in Halle, Zverev dropped just three games in a commanding 6:2, 6:1 win against Marcos Giron (No.43).
Lorenzo Sonego vs Alexander Zverev Prediction
Although Lorenzo Sonego has shown flashes of form, his struggles against elite opposition and the consistent performance level of Alexander Zverev suggest a straightforward result. Expect the German to win with a margin of at least four games.
