Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev began their campaigns at the Bitpanda Hamburg Open with straight-set victories on Monday. Both former champions demonstrated their prowess on the clay court, with Zverev defeating Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-1, 7-6(5) in his hometown event. “It was good. Especially the first set and a half was almost perfect,” Zverev commented on his performance. He noted Kovacevic’s aggressive play in the second set but expressed satisfaction with his win.
Zverev, ranked No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, has a strong record in Hamburg, having won 13 of his last 15 matches there and claiming the title in 2023. His next opponent will be Alexandre Muller, who advanced by beating Elias Ymer 6-3, 7-5.
Andrey Rublev also had a successful start, winning against Damir Dzumhur 6-4, 6-3. The Russian player aims to regain confidence after a challenging season on European clay courts where he has struggled since winning an ATP Tour title in Doha earlier this year. In the second round, Rublev will face either Jan-Lennard Struff or Justin Engel.
Other players advancing to the second round include Roberto Bautista Agut and Brandon Nakashima. Bautista Agut overcame Marcos Giron with scores of 7-6(5), 6-0. Nakashima progressed when Raphael Collignon retired due to a thumb injury while trailing 6-5.