French Open in Paris, Round of 16, Monday, 02.06.2025, 2:30 p.m.
The brief wobble was forgotten. Alexander Zverev advanced to the round of 16 at the French Open with a commanding performance, doing so for the eighth time in a row. On Monday, the 2021 Olympic champion wants to take the next step.
He knows his opponent very well and can also look forward to going into the match as the clear favorite. In my Zverev Griekspoor prediction, I’ll now reveal why I still believe that three sets won’t be enough in this match.
“This court is very special to me. I’ve had some of the best and some of the worst memories of my career here. The court is very special.” These are the words of a happy Alexander Zverev, who knows that he is playing in the round of 16 in Paris for the eighth time in a row.
He narrowly missed out on his first Grand Slam title there in 2024 and is determined to finally reach the top this year. After his 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Leaner Tien in the first round, he suffered a minor setback in the second round, losing 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.
Flavio Cobolli was not an easy opponent, having traveled to the French capital as the champion of Hamburg. However, Zverev seemed to have adjusted perfectly to his opponent.
He won 6-2, 7-6, 6-1, putting 78% of his first serves in play. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of his serve, as he is generally not satisfied with winning just under 70% of points from his first serve.
The Hamburg native spent exactly two and a half hours on court, converting his fourth match point. “We both felt the heat. It was definitely over 30 degrees in the sun on the court. It was important to win the second set. After that, things went my way,” Zverev analyzed after his victory.
Five years ago, he was knocked out in the round of 16 at the French Open, losing to Jannik Sinner. The current world number one was not even in the top 50 at the time.
Tallon Griekspoor is very familiar to Zverev, as the two have played each other nine times. In 2024 alone, there were four matches, and they have already faced each other twice this year.
In Indian Wells, the Dutchman prevailed in a close 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 match, with Zverev countering in Munich with an equally close 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 victory. The last seven matches have included ten tiebreaks.
Incidentally, their paths crossed in the third round of last year’s French Open. Zverev battled for hours and ultimately prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6. Are the bookmakers therefore once again betting on a match in which the smallest details will decide the outcome?
A 1.12 odds against 6.10 is a clear advantage for the German. Tallon Griekspoor has reached the round of 16 at the French Open for the first time in his career, so he is not under too much pressure.
The 28-year-old got off to a flying start in Paris with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory, before celebrating a 7-5, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 win over Gabriel Diallo in the second round. He showed even more grit in his latest match against Ethan Quinn.
4-6, 6-1, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, the Dutchman fought his way through in five sets. With 73% of his first serves in and 79% of points won, he put in a strong performance on his serve, which Zverev is likely to have noticed.
When was the last time Griekspoor won four matches in a row? In Marrakesh at the beginning of April, the world number 35 collected four wins – and promptly finished at the top of the table.
He played four tiebreaks during that tournament, and now he’s already played two in Paris. Perhaps it’s a good omen for Zverev that Griekspoor was eliminated alongside Bart Stevens against the German duo Mark Wallner and Jakob Schnaittler?
My Zverev Griekspoor tip
He can be satisfied with how the tournament has gone so far, but of course he wants much more. Alexander Zverev’s smooth victory over Flavio Cobolli impressed me, even though his serve is still not as brilliant as we have often seen.
He generally enjoys playing against Tallon Griekspoor, but the Dutchman fights until the very last moment, and the matches between Zverev and Griekspoor are always really close. That’s why I’ve decided to go with the following prediction:
Zverev and Griekspoor will play more than three sets!
