ATP Tournament in Hamburg, quarter-finals, Friday, 28.07.2023
There are two matches left, then he would have made it! Alexander Zverev is desperate to win the ATP tournament in Hamburg, a success in his native city in front of the German fans would have a very special meaning for him.
So far he is doing very well, now he faces a defiant young man from France. The experts at Bet365 favour the Olympic champion, but in my Zverev Van Assche tip I’ll now reveal why I can also imagine a closer match!
It would be a tournament made to measure: from the first to the last round without losing a set into the final! Alexander Zverev has not yet reached his goal in Hamburg, but he has made it to the quarter-finals without any problems.
Already his 6-0, 6-3 in the 1st round against Alex Molcan, against whom he had to fight much harder before in Bastad, left a lasting impression. A little later, he kept the upper hand in the German duel.
Zverev won 6-3, 7-5 against Maximilian Marterer, winning a whopping 90 percent of his points with his first serve. He had to take some criticism for service number two, where he won only 36 per cent.
Molcan didn’t get a chance to break, Marterer now had three (one was used). The Olympic champion has to be careful that this rate is not increased further.
He has reached the semi-finals in Hamburg twice in his career so far, and after his last appearance in the Hanseatic city in 2019, it should be the same again this year. Has he already made the acquaintance of his upcoming opponent?
Luca Van Assche is only 19 years old, he has never played against Alexander Zverev. It is interesting that the Frenchman is 20 centimetres shorter and that could be a disadvantage.
In his hometown, Zverev is of course a firm favourite, but will he hope to play late in the evening, as he did against Marterer, and thus be able to play under a closed roof and in cool temperatures?
At our betting providers, the odds show an average of 1.20 to 4.00. That makes the difference clear, but also suggests that Luca Van Assche can be a damn unpleasant opponent.
The 19-year-old started on the Elbe with a 7-6, 6-4 win over compatriot Alexander Müller and could have closed the match even earlier with a total of 20 break chances (six of which were used).
He then faced Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, a player seeded seventh. After taking the first set 3-6, the Frenchman turned up the heat, winning 7-6, 6-4 and deservedly advancing to the quarter-finals.
Two of 13 break chances used, a total of 17 opportunities distributed in both matches? He could still improve a little in terms of cold-bloodedness in his first appearance on the Elbe.
In Bastad, Van Assche clearly failed against Francisco Cerundolo, now he wants to show that he can perform much better against top players. The 19-year-old still lacks consistency, exceptionally good results are rare.
At the Challenger in Sanremo, he probably showed his best performance this year, even winning the title in the final against top seed Juan Pablo Varillas. Is it a good omen that he also won against Alexandre Müller during this tournament?
My Zverev Van Assche Tip
So far, Alexander Zverev is showing his best side at his home tournament in Hamburg. He is serving well, has his opponents under control and is showing that he is desperate to reach the final soon.
Luca Van Assche may not be able to keep up with the Olympic champion at first glance, but his victory over Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina made an impression. So much so that I say in terms of a tip:
We get to see more than 20,5 Games!
