Second-round action concludes on Thursday at the ATP Terra Wortman Open in Halle. It will be action-packed with four remaining quarterfinal spots up for grabs. Who do you think will prevail?
ATP Halle Day 4 Predictions
Jannik Sinner vs Lorenzo Sonego
Head-to-head: Sinner 1-0 Sonego
Jannik Sinner was a massive favorite to win the Den Bosch title but left empty-handed following his shock quarterfinal loss to Emil Ruusuvuori. He managed to bounce back in Halle, but his first-round win over Richard Gasquet was far from routine. Sonego can still push his ranking into the world’s top 32 but the odds are stacked against him. He has won two matches on grass–against an injury-stricken Berrettini and Aslan Karatsev, who is at his most vulnerable on grass. A step up in quality could limit Sonego’s biggest assets as Sinner will effortlessly match him for power.
Prediction: Sinner in 2
Alexander Bublik vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Head-to-head: Struff 3-0 Bublik
Prior to the grass court swing, Alexander Bublik compiled an 11-20 record for the season. It is not an enviable record for a player with top-30 ambitions. But he has picked up a couple of wins on the lawns to steady the ship including a 6-3 6-1 thrashing of former champion Borna Coric. Jan-Lennard Struff, for his part, is enjoying the best season of his career at 33. He overcame last week’s disappointment of losing in Stuttgart by cruising past Roman Safiullin in straight sets. Struff has been playing sublime tennis for months now and seamlessly transitioned from clay to grass. But if Bublik’s serve is on point, he could give the German a real scare.
Prediction: Bublik in 3
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Andrey Rublev vs Yannick Hanfmann
Head-to-head: Rublev 1-1 Hanfmann
Andrey Rublev was a runner-up in Halle two seasons ago but was dumped out in the first round last year. Motivation could have been an issue after Russian players were banned from playing last year’s Wimbledon. Rublev quickly picked up his first win on grass since 2021, toppling Yibing Wu 6-4 6-7 6-2 on Tuesday. Opponent Yannick Hanfmann doesn’t have a strong penchant for grass and he bided his time before defeating countryman and world #347 Louis Wessels in three sets. Hanfmann’s work rate gives him a chance, but unfortunately, the surface will not.
Prediction: Rublev in 2
Hubert Hurkacz vs Tallon Griekspoor
Head-to-head: Hurkacz 1-0 Griekspoor
This is the last match of the day and it is the most intriguing. Hubert Hurkacz needed three sets to scale past big-serving Christopher Eubanks in his first-round match. Even a semifinal run in Stuttgart last week doesn’t sugarcoat Hurkacz’s struggles this season. In 35 matches played this season, 13 have gone to a deciding set. That includes his five-set marathon win over Tallon Griekspoor at this year’s French Open.
Griekspoor is looking to forge another long winning streak akin to what he produced at the start of the season when he won seven matches on the spin. He’ll be seeded at Wimbledon and that harnesses his chances of being a capable draw disruptor next month. The Dutchman is adequately equipped to pose problems here as he is in better form and will likely hold the edge.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
