Wimbledon, 1st Round, Tuesday, 28.06.2022
What is the name of the German hope for Wimbledon 2022? The team travelled to London without Alexander Zverev, but they would like to get at least one of them far. Dominik Koepfer is not one of those who are expected to make the leap.
After his injury, he is not really getting into his stride and will have to fight his way out of the tournament in the 1st round.
Australia Open, Indian Wells, Miami and Hertogenbosch – Dominik Koepfer did not have to pack his bags very often in the last six months. His body went on strike, after the Miami Open he took a long break.
He returned in Hertogenbosch, but was not successful. He lost 1-6, 4-6 to Kamil Majchrzak, he did not want to leave the court as a loser. He has fallen to 117th place in the world rankings and has only won two matches this year.
And yet the bookmakers see him in a position to get through the first round of Wimbledon. 1.60 to 2.20, he is not far ahead of his rival Daniel Galan. The Colombian is even eight places higher in the world rankings.
A year ago, Koepfer was able to surprise in the opening round in London, when he defeated Reilly Opelka in three sets. He was eliminated in round 3 against Roberto Bautista Agut and has yet to reach the last 16.
After a very difficult first half of 2022, hardly any experts trust him to go really far at Wimbledon. Moreover, he goes into the duel with Daniel Galan with eleven centimetres less height.
He only managed 53% on his first serve in Hertogenbosch, and with a score like that he is unlikely to make it on Tuesday. For Galan, it is a great chance to reach the 2nd round for the second time in a row.
In 2021, he won against Federico Coria, but then lost to Lorenzo Sonego. The 26-year-old had already failed to qualify for the French Open and did not exactly impress on grass afterwards.
He played three Challengers and won only two matches. His year in 2022 can actually be summed up quite simply. When he competes in weak Challengers, he sometimes gets good results.
But when he faces really strong players, he is finished after one or two matches. However, he did not achieve the remarkable results on grass, which could be the crux of the matter.
Kopefer and Galan have never met each other directly. By the way, the Colombian only automatically slipped into the main draw because neither participants from Russia nor from Belarus are allowed in Wimbledon.
My Galan Koepfer Tip
How strong is Dominik Koepfer already after his injury? The dress rehearsal in Hertogenbosch was very sobering.
With Daniel Galan I could hardly find any indications that he is above Koepfer. However, I don’t yet trust the German to beat his rival without losing a set. Therefore, my final guess is:
We see at least four sets!
