The Halle Open is heating up in Germany this week, with players jostling for grass court form ahead of Wimbledon. This Saturday, two top 10 players clash in the semi-finals, with home star Alexander Zverev taking on Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.
Who prevails in this battle of the big guns? Read on for our Zverev vs Hurkacz prediction and betting tips.
Contents
Player Form: Hurkacz Looking Better
Zverev comes to Halle having just made the French Open final barely 10 days ago. The German lost to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets, but will be eager to put that behind him with Wimbledon fast approaching.
So far on the grass, Zverev has looked… Scratchy. He’s been winning, but it’s not been pretty. A tiebreak against Lorenzo Sonego, plus dropped sets against Oscar Otte and Arthur Fils have been the symptoms of a tough surface adjustment.
Hurkacz, on the other hand, has been enjoying the faster surface. The big-serving Pole is yet to drop a set in Halle, moving past James Duckworth, Flavio Cobolli and Marcos Giron in straight sets.
How the Bookies View It: Zverev Ahead
Bookmaker Betfred has this contest quite close. Zverev is given the edge at 4/7 to win, however Hurkacz is not far behind on 11/8. The handicaps are as close as can be, with a -0.5 handicap for Zverev at 4/6. Set betting expects this to end in two the way of Zverev, paying 11/8 for this result.
Recent Head-to-Head: Domination for Zverev
Zverev and Hurkacz have played three times before on the ATP Tour, with Zverev winning all three. The most recent was an epic at the United Cup earlier this year, where Zverev saved championship point to prevail 6-7(3), 7-6(6), 6-4.
Anything Else Catch the Eye?
In any grass match, the serve is important. This match in particular, will be heavily dominated by the initial strike. Both men possess big serves which they base their games around. Expect break points to be a rare commodity, with plenty of tiebreakers in this one.
Of Hurkacz’s three matches this week in Halle, he’s played a tiebreaker in each clash. Zverev is the exact same, with at least one tiebreaker in each of his matches as well.
Zverev vs Hurkacz Betting Tips & Predictions
The last match these two played was an epic, and we expect this clash to be no different. Chances are there will be at least one tiebreak, and given how dominant both are on serve, there’s a good chance we go the distance here as well.
- Both players to win a set @ 6/5
- Two tiebreaks total @ 5/2
If we have to pick a winner, it would be Zverev. Thankfully, the bets above all get paid regardless of who wins. We say the result is too close to call, with wagering on these markets a smarter idea instead.
In December 2020 we sadly 
