ATP Tournament in Halle, 1st round, Tuesday, 17.06.2025, 12:00 p.m.
Alexander Zverev’s return to grass was impressive after his exit in the round of 16 at the French Open. At the 250 tournament in Stuttgart, he reached his second final on German soil in 2025.
Unlike in Munich, however, he failed to win the final. Taylor Fritz, who is increasingly emerging as his nemesis, came out on top. A few days after the final, Zverev will continue his campaign at the classic tournament in Halle.
In my Zverev Giron tip, I am convinced that the German will win outright. We are still getting good odds for a 2-0 victory at Winamax, which are also tax-free.
Zverev’s journey toward his long-awaited Grand Slam title continues after the French Open. Will he strike at Wimbledon of all places? He tends to give himself the least chance at the most prestigious tournament with its hallowed turf.
The deep bouncing balls are a particular thorn in the side of the German. Nevertheless, the Hamburg native should never be written off, especially not after a good tournament in London last year.
And by reaching the final in Stuttgart, he has once again proven that he is definitely a force to be reckoned with. There, he was ultimately defeated by the man who also beat him at Wimbledon in 2024 and later at the US Open, Taylor Fritz.
He will now face Fritz’s compatriot Marcos Giron in the first round in Halle. He has already faced him three times, with the current world number three winning all three matches. They faced each other on grass in London last year.
He won in three sets without any difficulties, not allowing a single break point in 36 of 41 points won. The German has a clear advantage in his serve and pace of play.
In a direct comparison, I don’t see any chance for Giron, so I wasn’t surprised by the next clear victory a few months later in Vienna (6-2, 7-5). There, too, Giron couldn’t find his return game and didn’t have a single break point.
And he himself has always dropped a set now and then, especially against stronger defensive players, which includes Zverev. In addition to speed, he also lags behind the Olympic champion in terms of first serve percentage.
It was 82 to 62 percent in Vienna alone. So I’m surprised that we’re still getting odds of just under 1.50 for Zverev to win 2-0 in sets. Winamax is known for its still respectable odds despite high probability of occurrence.
The betting provider is also flexing its muscles with its new customer bonus, where up to $100 in free bets are waiting for you. You can withdraw your winnings directly.
The simple odds of 1.11 for a win, on the other hand, offer little value, but I see it as a fairly clear-cut case, as Giron has not played a single match on grass in 2025 and the transition from clay is always challenging at the beginning.
However, his odds of winning are decent. He also won his only title on this surface last year in Newport. His last victory on the tour came more than a month ago.
At the Masters in Rome, he beat Fritz, who recently defeated Zverev, but then suffered three defeats in a row. In Hamburg and Roland Garros, he had to pack his bags right after the opening round.
My Giron Zverev tip
Until his duel with Fritz, Zverev had made it through the tournament in Stuttgart without dropping a set. He is now showing few weaknesses against players who are far from the world’s elite.
Giron lacks the means to hurt Zverev. He lacks the speed to regularly put Zverev, who still plays too defensively, in danger. In addition, his serve is too harmless to win many free points.
The German should secure a break or two and make the difference in the tiebreak at the latest. In Halle, he has already reached the final against Roger Federer and played two finals with his brother Mischa. In one of his comfort zones, I am placing the following bet.
My Giron Zverev prediction: Zverev wins in two sets.
