After an entralling clay court season, tennis fans turn their attention towards the grass courts. The ATP Halle Open has served as valuable preparation for Wimbledon for many top players, which is evident from the jam packed draw.
Roger Federer headlines the action on day 1 in a much anticipated grass court season swing for the Swiss. We have five Round of 32 matches scheduled and we predict who goes ahead.
ATP Halle Open Day 1 Predictions
Daniel Altmaier vs Jordan Thompson
Head to head – First Meeting
Daniel Altmaier is an interesting player to follow on the tennis tour. The young German hasn’t quite impressed this year on the main tour but with each new tournament comes a new opportunity to turn things around. It’ll be easier said than done though as Jordan Thompson is a seasoned professional and is coming off of a tough loss to Alex De Minaur at Stuttgart. Expect Altmaier to keep things interesting but Thompson should get the win on the back of his consistent play.
Prediction: Thompson in 3
Marcos Giron vs Vasek Pospisil
Head to head – First Meeting
Vasek Pospisil makes his return to the tour after having last played in Miami in March. The Canadian would be best suited for grass as he possesses a big serve and covers the net pretty well. His opponent, Marcos Giron, had a good showing at the French Open but failed to carry that momentum through to Stuttgart. The American has done well so far to qualify here and one feels he’s better adapted to the surface here than Pospisil who’ll be playing his first match in almost three months.
Prediction: Giron in 2
David Goffin vs Corentin Moutet
Head to head – Goffin 2-0 Moutet
David Goffin had a forgettable French Open but the Belgian’s game is very well suited for faster courts. Goffin is able to take the ball very early and plays sublime baseline tennis at times which has caught out the best. Goffin has a tricky draw to navigate here but if he build up momentum he can be very dangerous. Corentin Moutet is a solid tennis player but his grass court game needs further polishing. Expect Goffin to make a strong start here against a player who he’s beaten twice.
Prediction: Goffin in 2
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Sebastian Korda
Head to head – First Meeting
Roberto Bautista Agut is seeded sixth here and like David Goffin he can be very potent on his day. The Spaniard plays a very flat trajectory brand of tennis and can be very tough to handle on a grass court. Sebastian Korda, on the other hand, too loves to flatten it out and it’ll be fascinating to see how the young American plays this year on grass. Expect an entertaining match with Korda redlining and not holding back for the win.
Prediction: Korda in 3
Roger Federer vs Ilya Ivashka
Head to head – First Meeting
Roger Federer on grass is something special to watch and he opens up his campaign against Ilya Ivashka. The Swiss withdrew from French Open before his fourth round match to come to Halle early and prepare, and now the real test begins. Ivashka has come through qualifying but his overall game still should come up short against Federer. Expect the Swiss to make a strong start here.
Prediction: Federer in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
