Olympics 2021: Alexander Zverev vs Lu Yen-hsun preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Alexander Zverev [GER] vs Lu Yen-hsun [TPE]
Date: 25 July 2021
Tournament: Tokyo Olympics 2020
Round: First Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Ariake Tennis Park, Tokyo, Japan
Category: Olympic Games
Surface: Outdoor hard
Live telecast: USA - NBC & Peacock TV | UK - BBC TV | India - Sony Liv
Alexander Zverev vs Lu Yen-hsun preview
Alexander Zverev is in the midst of quite a successful season. The fourth seed at the Tokyo Olympics, Zverev has won 27 of his 38 matches in 2021, which includes title runs in Acapulco and Madrid.
Zverev has also performed well in all three Majors, reaching at least the second week. He lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals, to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Roland Garros semifinals, and to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Wimbledon last 16.
The German is now gearing up for his Olympic debut in Tokyo, where he opens his campaign against Lu Yen-hsun of Chinese Taipei.
Lu, 37, has played only six tournaments in 2021. He has posted just one victory, which came against Sam Querrey in Miami.
Check Out: Tokyo Olympics 2021 Schedule
Alexander Zverev vs Lu Yen-hsun head-to-head
Alexander Zverev and Lu Yen-hsun have split their two previous meetings, so their current head-to-head stands at 1-1.
Their most recent clash came in Miami four years ago, with Zverev dropping just three games en route to a comprehensive victory.
Lu won the pair's first meeting, in the first round of the 2016 Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Alexander Zverev vs Lu Yen-hsun prediction
On paper, this appears to be a mismatch. While Zverev is perched firmly inside the top 10 of the world rankings, Lu is languishing outside the top 500.
In addition to his strong serve and powerful groundstrokes, Zverev possesses great speed and moves well for his height. He has also developed his net game over the past few seasons, which should come in handy against Lu, who prefers to slug it out from the baseline.
Lu doesn't boast of having too many weapons in his arsenal. He is solid from the back of the court, but lacks the power to hit through opponents.
As long as Zverev can guard against complacency, he should be able to come through this clash without breaking a sweat.
Prediction: Alexander Zverev to win in straight sets.
Check Out: Tokyo Olympics Medals Tally