
A much-needed warm-up prior to the Olympics, Hamburg is one of the last ATP events on clay of the season. There are big names at the event, including Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune, with plenty of mouthwatering match-ups to sink our teeth into. As always at LWOT, we’ve tried to predict the outcomes of some of the matches taking place on the fourth day of action.
The high-ranked wins are growing further and further away and, with it, Laslo Djere’s ranking is descending. We’ve seen a drop down to Challenger level recently with middling success. Still, the stalwart can be a pain for anybody to put away but particularly for players of Fils’ peaks and troughs. The Frenchman’s forehand was born for this surface however and should ultimately see him through.
Prediction: Fils in 3
Two in-form players that are tough to pick between. Zhizhen Zhang probably has the bigger upside of the pair but Flavio Cobolli is probably the slightly more comfortable clay-court player. It feels like one of those matches that’ll go down to the wire. I’ll pick Zhang to clinch it but not with complete certainty.
Prediction: Zhang in 3
From the back of the court, defending champion Alexander Zverev could struggle in moments. Drop shots will bring the German forward, exposing his poor transition game and average net game. Fortunately for Zverev, his serve is miles better than Gaston’s and his rally temperament should be sturdy enough to withstand the Frenchman’s tricks.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Marco Trungelliti is a great player but he’s undoubtedly a step below Holger Rune’s level. It’s just so difficult to trust the Dane at the moment. He’s so well equipped to play anybody in the world but so many choices have caused poor shot choice of late and his temperament has followed. It’ll probably be tougher than it has to be but I still have faith Rune is good enough to fight his way through this one.
Prediction: Rune in 3
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