Hamburg European Open 2021: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominik Koepfer preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (1) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominik Koepfer
Tournament: Hamburg European Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Hamburg, Germany
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €1,030,900
Match timing: Not before 3.30 pm local time, 1.30 pm GMT, 9.30 am EST, 7 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominik Koepfer preview
Stefanos Tsitsipas will be looking to bounce back from his shock first-round defeat at Wimbledon when he takes the court at the Hamburg European Open on Wednesday.
Tsitsipas was in red hot form prior to his defeat to Frances Tiafoe at SW19. He won titles at Monte Carlo and Lyon, before reaching his maiden Slam final at Roland Garros. The Greek put together an outstanding win-loss record of 22-4 on clay and gave Novak Djokovic a real scare in the final at Paris.
He will now take on local favorite Dominik Koepfer in the Hamburg second round on Wednesday.
Koepfer is a force to reckon with when it comes to claycourt tennis. The German may not have won any titles on the surface, but he has strung a few good runs together.
Koepfer has an underwhelming win-loss record of 13-15 this year but has produced some big results, including a first-round win over Reilly Opelka at Wimbledon. The 27-year-old also made news when he took Roger Federer to four close sets in the third round at Roland Garros.
Koepfer has set up the match against Tsitsipas on the back of a hard-fought win over Maximilian Marterer in the first round. Koepfer outlasted his compatriot 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(4) in a near two-hour encounter to kick off his tournament on a strong note.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominik Koepfer head-to-head
The second round encounter in Hamburg is the first ever match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominik Koepfer, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominik Koepfer prediction
As the top seed and one of the best players on tour at the moment, Stefanos Tsitsipas comes into this encounter as the overwhelming favorite.
The 22-year-old has an all-court game that has yielded outstanding results on clay this year. His much-improved backhand and consistent serve have done a lot of damage, even against the very best players on tour.
Tsitsipas can generate a lot of power from his groundstrokes even on slow surfaces like the one in Hamburg, which should hold him in good stead this week.
Dominik Koepfer, on his part, has impressed more than a few with his exploits on the red dirt lately. Considered to be something of a claycourt specialist, the German can test any opponent with his accurate lefty forehand and quick movement.
Tsitsipas will be playing for the first time since his disappointing Wimbledon campaign, and so he could suffer a few lapses in concentration. Koepfer might be able to exploit that to his advantage for a set, but the Greek's power and variety should eventually be enough to put away his opponent.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets.