Who will win the duel between the two world champions?
In the first round of the Western & Southern Open 2023, it is not only the clash of two former world champions and top 10 players, but also the direct duel of two former overall winners of the Masters tournament in Cincinnati. Grigor Dimitrov won the title at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in 2017. Alexander Zverev won the tournament here two years ago and, due to his non-participation last year due to injury, will be travelling to the tournament as the defending champion in a sense.
In principle, the betting on Alexander Zverev advancing against Grigor Dimitrov is under a good star. After all, the German from Hamburg just defeated the Bulgarian 3-0 at this year’s French Open, although the fact that the clay court surface suits him much better played into Sascha’s favour. However, Zverev is also leading Dimitrov 2-1 in the head-to-head comparison on hard court.
It should be noted, however, that despite a slight advantage for Zverev, both players are on an equal footing. Dimitrov is in his element on hard court and already showed six years ago that the fast hard court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center suits him, while Zverev is on his way back to his old top form after his tournament victory in Hamburg. The forecast for a hard-fought match between Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov is accordingly coherent, especially as both players are only two places apart in the ATP world rankings.
The bet that the Bulgarian will win a maximum of twelve games covers most eventualities. From a clean 2-0 win to constellations in which Zverev wins 2-0 or 2-1.
Alexander Zverev – Statistics & current form
Current world ranking: 17
Position in the seedings: 16
The 26-year-old German Alexander Zverev has not only won the ATP Finals twice in 2018 and 2021 to be crowned world champion, but has also won five major titles at Masters tournaments.
The Hamburg native celebrated his last Masters triumph to date here in Cincinnati, where he beat Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev in 2021. After the injury break in 2022, Sascha now returns to the Western & Southern Open.
Has the knot finally broken in Hamburg?
Although Alexander Zverev struggled to match his pre-injury form for long stretches of the 2023 season, his performances have recently improved. Recently, however, his performances have been getting better and better. The German reached the semifinals at Roland Garros before winning his first singles title in 18 months at his home tournament in Hamburg.
It is precisely this momentum that the 26-year-old now wants to take into the US Open Series. At the hard-court Grand Slam in the United States of America, Sascha once reached the final in 2020. He would like to be in a correspondingly good position again this year, for which a good run in Cincinnati would be useful after the second-round exit at Roger’s Cup.
Won 34 of 53 singles matches in 2023
Thereby, it is quite coherent to follow the tip on the German’s victory in the case of Alexander Zverev against Grigor Dimitrov. Not only did Sascha already beat the talented Bulgarian at the French Open 2023, but he also leads 4:1 overall in the direct comparison.
In addition, the German, who has returned to 17th place in the ATP world rankings, has a much better annual record thanks to his latest coup in Hamburg. Of the 53 singles matches he has played in 2023, Alexander Zverev has won 34 (19 losses).
Grigor Dimitrov – Statistics & current form
Current world ranking: 19
Position in the seedings: unseeded
The now 32-year-old Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov once won the boys’ singles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2008 and started his professional career with correspondingly high praise.
Because of his style of play, the man from Haskovo was called the baby Federer for a long time, but he could never quite fulfil the great expectations. Only two Major titles are on record in Dimi’s entire career – both dating back to 2017.
In the shadow of the outstanding 2017 season
In his best season on the ATP Tour so far, the Bulgarian not only reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2017, but also secured the overall victory at the Western & Southern Open 2017. It was the 32-year-old’s only tournament victory at a Masters tournament so far.
Dimi was able to make this title gold by promptly winning the overall title and becoming world champion in his first and only successful qualification for the ATP Finals in the same year. He ended the season in third place in the ATP world rankings.
Won 25 of 39 singles matches in 2023
Grigor Dimitrov has not really fallen that low in his career. Nevertheless, he has not been in the top 10 since 2017, which is also due to inconsistent performances. The tournament victory at the ATP Finals 2017 was his eighth and to date last singles title on the ATP Tour.
Most recently, however, his skills flashed through again when he reached the semifinals of the Washington Open the week before last. His 25 wins from the 39 singles matches he has played in 2023 also read solid. But the betting companies doubt whether that will be enough to stop the strong German. Consequently, the odds on Alexander Zverev against Grigor Dimitrov are in favour of the Hamburg player.
Alexander Zverev – Grigor Dimitrov Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
Head to head: 4:1
The two athletes have faced each other a total of five times so far and in four out of five cases Alexander Zverev prevailed over the Bulgarian in the end. Grigor Dimitrov only kept the upper hand in the very first duel at the Swiss Indoors 2014 in Basel with 2:1. The last four meetings have all gone to the German, who last beat Dimi 3-0 at the 2023 French Open.
Alexander Zverev – Grigor Dimitrov Tip
Basically, our prediction for Alexander Zverev against Grigor Dimitrov is for the German, who has only lost the very first meeting with the Bulgarian so far and has always held his own in the last four duels, to progress. Sascha also brings the momentum of the 2021 overall win at the Western & Southern Open with him, but will be challenged to the maximum in his opening match.
The most coherent bet in our eyes is that Grigor Dimitrov will win a maximum of twelve matches. That not only covers most of the constellations in which Sascha makes it into the second round, but also a clean 2:0 win for the Bulgarian.
