Alexander Zverev looks for a spot in the Hamburg quarterfinals on Thursday, while Monte-Carlo champion Fabio Fognini takes on wild card Rudolf Molleker. Zverev is coming off a win over Bastad champion Nicolas Jarry.
(2) Alexander Zverev vs. Federico Delbonis
Alexander Zverev and Federico Delbonis met for the first time during the spring European clay-court swing in Geneva. Zverev won that match, but he worked hard for it with a 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-3 win. Zverev is playing in front of the home crowd, and he seems to be playing well again, after a first round loss at Wimbledon a few weeks ago. The German had an easy first-round win over Chile’s Nicolas Jarry.
Delbonis is on a bit of a hot streak. He made the semifinals in Bastad last week, when he lost to eventual champion Jarry. Between the successful run in Bastad and his difficult first round encounter against Marco Checchinato, fatigue could well play a factor in his Thursday match against Zverev. This is a good opportunity for Zverev to make his way into the final weekend.
Cheryl pick: Zverev in 3
Ricky pick: Zverev in 2
(3) Fabio Fognini vs. (WC) Rudolf Molleker
Rudolf Molleker is a promising young star in German tennis. He is just 18 and ranked 150th in the world. He mostly spends his time on the Challenger circuit, but he’s had recent success qualifying at main tour events. In fact, he earned himself a spot in the main draw at Roland Garros this year. It’s not likely he’ll have enough game to trouble a veteran of Fabio Fognini’s caliber, but he has the potential to make an impact on the tour in the future.
Fabio Fognini had the biggest win of his career in Monte-Carlo earlier this year. He cashed in on a less-than-stellar Rafael Nadal to earn his shot at his first Masters title. An easy straight-set victory over Dusan Lajovic netted him his 9th career title, but first Masters 1000. He had a respectable round of 16 showing at the French Open, and even made the third round at Wimbledon. Generally, he’s playing well this spring and summer.
The Italian will be the heavy favorite going into this second-round encounter. Expect a comfortable win for Fognini to advance to the quarterfinals.
Cheryl pick: Fognini in 2
Ricky pick: Fognini in 2
Zv in 2; fog in 2.