Halle Open: Nick Kyrgios gets blockbuster first match and Alexander Zverev finds out his draw
While there have been tournaments in Stuttgart and ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the grass court swing truly kicks into gear with the Halle Open and Queen’s.
While Queen’s looks relatively light on star power after the withdrawals of Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, and Valentin Vacherot, Halle looks suitably stacked.
Six of the top 10 will feature at the German event, including recent Roland Garros champion Alexander Zverev and his final opponent Flavio Cobolli.
Zverev, who is the top seed, has been Vít Kopřiva in the first round and he could be set for a blockbuster second round match against Joao Fonseca.
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Elsewhere, he’s been drawn in the same section of the draw as Alexander Bublik, Ben Shelton, and Nick Kyrgios, the latter of whom has received a wildcard.
Taylor Fritz, who has earned some battling wins on the grass in Stuttgart this week, will play a potential banana skin tie against Zizou Bergs.
Halle Open first round matches
- Alexander Zverev vs Vit Kopriva
- Joao Fonseca vs Yannick Hanfmann
- Alexei Popyrin vs qualifier
- Alexander Bublik vs qualifier
- Ben Shelton vs Nick Kyrgios
- Karen Khachanov vs Ethan Quinn
- Fabian Maroszan vs Miomir Kecmanovic
- Zizou Bergs vs Taylor Fritz
- Andrey Rublev vs Hubert Hurkacz
- Daniel Altmaier vs qualifier
- Terence Atmane vs qualifier
- Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Daniil Medvedev
- Flavio Cobolli vs Frances Tiafoe
- Tallon Griekspoor vs Sho Shimabukuro
- Max Schonhaus vs Learner Tien
- Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Nuno Borges
Kyrgios and Shelton are set for a mouthwatering first round tie, which is sure to be a big serving event on the grass, with two players who have a proved track record on the surface.
The Australian looked impressive in Stuttgart as he defeated Corentin Moutet in straight sets and lost to Sho Shimabukuro in the second round.
Shelton, meanwhile, finds himself in the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open, where he will play Jiri Lehecka for a place in the German tournament final.
He will be hoping for another solid tournament on the grass as he hopes to convince Wimbledon officials to hand him a wildcard for the Grand Slam.
In the bottom half of the draw, second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime has been drawn against Nuno Borges, and he could face the likes of Learner Tien, Frances Tiafoe, and Cobolli if he navigates his way through the tournament.
Daniil Medvedev, who has reached the final of the Halle Open on two occasions, will play Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first round.
The Halle Open is set to take place between the 15th and the 21st June, with the final taking place one week before the start of the Wimbledon main draw.
