Germany’s new tennis star Alexander Zverev starts his run for the title on the first main field day at the 27th NOVENTI OPEN. The 22-year-old world no. Five plays against Robin Haase (ATP 67) from the Neterlands in his opening match on Monday, June 17th. “He is a dangerous opponent, who you have to play highly concentrated”, Zverev stated. Head-to-head Zverev is in the lead against the 32-year-old routine player, he had also won their last encounter in Autumn of 2018 in Basel.
In 2016 and 2017 respectively, Zverev reached the finals at the ATP 500er tournament in HalleWestfalen, but was then defeated by Florian Mayer and Roger Federer. “Now I want to win a title here”, Zverev said when welcomed by tournament director Ralf Weber on Friday. Haases’ best result in his eight participations in Halle/Westfalen was getting to the quarter finals in 2017 – he then defeated Austrian Dominic Thiem in the round of 16.
Philipp Kohlschreiber, too, will start on Monday, the tournament winner of 2011. The 35-year-old, born in Augsburg, but who lives in Kitzbühel, will play the six-year-younger Steve Johnson from America, who is currently the world’s no. 78. The only match to date between the two was won by Kohlschreiber in Stuttgart in 2017 – in the tie break of the third, deciding set.
