USA News Hub

There will be no shortage of star power on day two at the ATP Halle Open with nine matches on the slate in Germany. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Joao Fonseca vs Flavio Cobolli, but who will book their spot in the second round?

ATP Halle Day 2 Predictions

Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Pedro Martinez

Head-to-head: first meeting

Neither of these men is entirely comfortable on grass, with both usually producing their best tennis on the clay. Tomas Martin Etcheverry might be slightly more at home at the ATP Halle Open, however. He will likely be the aggressor throughout this match and Martinez’s movement on grass, which is not as good as on other surfaces, will make it hard for him to defend against the Argentine, as indeed will the quicker court surface.

Francisco Cerundolo vs Alex Michelsen

Head-to-head: first meeting

Francisco Cerundolo will need to survive a lot of powerful hitting from Alex Michelsen if he wants to triumph. Two of the American’s three ATP finals came on grass in 2023 and 2024 at the Hall of Fame Tennis Open and he clearly enjoys the quick conditions on the grass. Cerundolo is prone to at least one lapse on his serve in each set, something he cannot afford against Michelsen’s style on grass. It could be tight, but Michelsen should have enough.

Prediction: Michelsen in 3

Denis Shapovalov vs Ugo Humbert

Head-to-head: Shapovalov 3-2 Humbert

This pair has never played on grass, but Shapovalov has won their three clay-court meetings, while Humbert prevailed twice on hard courts. The five previous matches indicate that a faster surface suits Humbert in matchups with the Canadian. It allows him to rush Shapovalov on his single-handed backhand, which could prove  to be decisive in Halle.

Jannik Sinner vs Yannick Hanfmann

Head-to-head: Sinner 2-0 Hanfmann

Yannick Hanfmann was competitive against Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon last year, pushing him to four sets. The home favourite in Halle will hope that Sinner has a hangover in his first match since that heartbreaking French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz in which he held but could not convert three match points. In truth, it is anyone’s guess how Sinner will cope, but the Italian has responded strongly to setbacks in the past, and the defending champion in Halle can be expected to bounce back once again.

Prediction: Sinner in 2