Halle Open 2022: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Nick Kyrgios preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Terra Wortmann Open
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Nick Kyrgios
Tournament: Terra Wortmann Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Date: June 15
Venue: Halle, Germany.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €2,134,520.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Nick Kyrgios preview
Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will square off against Nick Kyrgios in the second round of the Halle Open on Wednesday.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has made the finals of three ATP events this year. The Greek couldn't get over the line in Rotterdam and Rome, but defended his crown at the Monte-Carlo Masters with a win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final.
The 24-year old entered the Halle Open on the back of a quarterfinals exit in Stuttgart, losing to former World No. 1 Andy Murray. He took on Benjamin Bonzi in the first round.
Both players started off on a positive note and went toe-to-toe throughout the first set. Tsitsipas flipped the switch when it mattered the most, winning six straight points in the tiebreak and gaining the advantage in the match.
Bonzi hit back instantly and broke the World No. 5 twice in quick succession to level the contest, but ran out of steam in the decider and lost to the Greek 7-6(1),1-6, 6-3.
Nick Kyrgios missed most of the clay season but is back in full swing on grasscourts. The Australian has made a significant jump in the ATP rankings, moving up 59 places since February 2022.
The World No. 65 has won 15 out of 21 matches this season and is entering the Halle Open on the back of consecutive semifinal appearances in his last two tournaments in Houston and Stuttgart.
Kyrgios meant business in his first-round match against Daniel Altmaier. He ousted the local favourite in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 and secured a place in the last 16 to face Tsitsipas for the first time on grass.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Nick Kyrgios head-to-head
Kyrgios leads the head-to-head against Tsitsipas 2-1. Their most recent encounter came at the 2021 Laver Cup, where the Greek came out on top, besting Kyrgios in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Nick Kyrgios odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Nick Kyrgios prediction
Tsitsipas has had his fair share of struggles on grass throughout his career and was taken to the distance by Benjamin Bonzi. The 2021 French Open finalist hasn't won consecutive matches on this surface since his run to the quarterfinals at ATP London in 2019.
Tsitsipas won 74 percent of his first serve points and saved seven out of 10 break points throughout the match. While the second seed usually prefers slow and high bounces, his excellent first serve and crafty net skills make him a competitive player on grass. He can improve on his return game, though, as he only managed to win only 18 percent of the points while facing his opponents' serve.
Kyrgios is a dangerous player on grass, and he has got some big results on the surface, such as beating former Wimbledon champions Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray and posting four quarterfinals (or better) results at grass court tournaments, including Wimbledon.
The former World No. 13 won 87 percent of his first serve points and never faced a break point against Altmaier. Kyrgios has looked calm while executing his shots in the last few matches and has added a beautiful drop volley to his repertoire of skills.
Nick Kyrgios' win ratio on grass is more than the Greek at 62.2 percent. If he keeps his cool in difficult situations and starts to find the line early on in the match, he should be able to secure a place in the last eight.
Pick: Nick Kyrgios to win in three sets.