Halle: defending champion Bublik out, Zverev advances
Alexander Bublik was beaten on the Halle grass by qualifier Bellucci, only the second time in history a champion has fallen in the opening round. Medvedev cruises through while Zverev needs three sets.
- Defending champion Alexander Bublik was knocked out in the first round of Halle by qualifier Mattia Bellucci.
- It is only the second time in the tournament's history, and the first since 2003, that a champion has exited in the opening round.
- Home favourite Alexander Zverev advanced after a three-set battle with Vit Kopriva 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
- Daniil Medvedev cruised past Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4.
The grass in Halle can be merciless to favourites, and on Tuesday it proved the point all over again. The stands were waiting for a showman, the man who had no equal on this surface last year, and instead of a celebratory lap they got a sight this tournament almost never produces. The defending champion had packed his bag before most of the favourites had even stepped onto court.
Alexander Bublik, the player who lifted the Halle trophy last season and turned that week into one of the most inventive runs of his career, found not even a shadow of that form this time. Against qualifier Mattia Bellucci, a man who only reached the main draw through qualifying, the Kazakh looked stiff, with no rhythm on serve and none of the risk that usually makes him so unpredictable. Bellucci exploited every crack and earned a win that will stay among the finest of his career.
How rare is an exit like this for a champion?
Very. The numbers show this is only the second time in Halle’s history that a defending champion has left the tournament in the first round, and the previous instance came all the way back in 2003. In other words, generations of players have passed through this event, and none of them as champion had fallen at the first hurdle until now. Grass rewards confidence and punishes doubt, and on Tuesday Bublik looked like a player who had lost the feel that carried him to the title a year ago.
For Bellucci it is proof that qualifying is not merely the antechamber of a tournament but a proving ground where competitive rhythm builds. He walked into the match without pressure, with a clear plan and no fear of the big name on the other side of the net. That mental calm was the difference that eventually showed on the scoreboard.
What comes next for the contenders
While the day’s headline was the upset, the top of the draw sent a clear message that the title contenders have no intention of slipping. Home favourite Alexander Zverev had to work for it against Vit Kopriva, edging through only after three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. The German stumbled in the second set but pulled himself together in time on his own grass, exactly as you would expect from a player carrying the weight of the home crowd here. Young Brazilian Joao Fonseca had no such luck at this edition of the tournament, knocked out in the first round by Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-2.
Daniil Medvedev was the one who showed real control, beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4. The Russian is not famed for his love of grass, but in this match he showed enough patience and precision to control the rallies and deny his opponent any way into the contest. With Bublik out of the running, the draw has suddenly opened up, and Zverev and Medvedev are the first who can take advantage.
Halle has lost its defending champion a week into the event, but it has not lost its intrigue. If the grass keeps toppling favourites at this rate, the final could deliver a name few expect. So, do you believe Zverev will finally turn his form into a trophy on home soil, or will some new Bellucci topple him too?
