The opening rounds of the Terra Wortmann Open brought no shortage of surprises, with nine first-round matches completed across Monday and Tuesday in Halle. The headline result was the early exit of defending champion Alexander Bublik, beaten in straight sets by qualifier Mattia Bellucci. Another eye-catching upset saw home favourite Yannick Hanfmann take apart Joao Fonseca, the Brazilian enduring a difficult start to his grass-court season. Amid the surprises, top seed Alexander Zverev did his job on home soil, getting past Vit Kopriva in his first match since winning the Roland Garros title and beginning his campaign as a Grand Slam champion with a win. Wednesday completes the first round while also launching the round of 16, with Stuttgart finalists Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz entering the draw after an extra day of rest following their championship match. Shelton faces Lorenzo Sonego, who came in on the wild card vacated by Nick Kyrgios' withdrawal, while Fritz opens against Zizou Bergs.
Bellucci stuns defending champion Bublik
The biggest upset of the opening rounds came from Mattia Bellucci, who beat defending champion and seventh seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets. The Italian left-hander arrived in Halle carrying momentum from a strong week in Stuttgart and a successful qualifying run, but few would have expected him to see off one of the tour's most dangerous grass-court players without dropping a set. Ranked No. 74, Bellucci played aggressively and kept his composure, winning 39% of return points behind the Bublik first serve and converting three break points. The Kazakh, who lifted the trophy here last year, never found his rhythm as Bellucci controlled the key moments to secure one of the best wins of his career.
Zverev survives an awkward grass-court opener
Alexander Zverev's first match since winning Roland Garros was far from straightforward, the top seed pushed by Vit Kopriva before advancing in three sets. Playing his first grass-court match of the season, the newly crowned Grand Slam champion needed time to adjust to the surface, while Kopriva looked comfortable on it. The world No. 64 produced a disciplined performance and stole the second set with a break at 5-4 to force a decider. Zverev raised his level when it mattered, though, finishing with 16 aces and winning 56% of return points behind the Kopriva second serve. Backed by the home crowd, he came through an awkward opening test on a winning note.
Shimabukuro carries his Stuttgart form into Halle
Sho Shimabukuro's run on grass shows no sign of slowing. Fresh off the first ATP quarterfinal of his career in Stuttgart and a maiden top-100 debut, the Japanese player upset world No. 40 Tallon Griekspoor in a two-hour, eight-minute contest. He once again exceeded expectations on the surface. Griekspoor fired 19 aces and won 86% of points behind his second serve, but Shimabukuro was more effective in the key moments, converting three break points and winning 55% of return points against the Dutchman's second delivery. His Stuttgart week is looking less and less like a one-off.
Hanfmann takes apart Fonseca in 65 minutes
One of the most surprising results of the opening rounds saw Yannick Hanfmann beat Joao Fonseca 6-2 6-2 in just 65 minutes. The world No. 59 produced a near-faultless performance in front of his home crowd, neutralising one of the sport's brightest young talents. Fonseca, whose explosive game has already made him one of the tour's most exciting prospects, looked uncomfortable from the start of his grass-court campaign. The Brazilian struggled for both rhythm and tactical answers, winning just 46% of points behind his first serve and creating no break points all match. Hanfmann, by contrast, dominated on return, taking 54% of points behind the Fonseca first serve and converting three break points.
Hurkacz rolls past Rublev in 68 minutes
Their first-round meeting was expected to be one of the closest of the week, but Hubert Hurkacz had other ideas, beating Andrey Rublev 6-3 6-2 in just 68 minutes for one of his most convincing performances since returning from injury. The road back has been gradual, but Halle has often brought out his best grass-court tennis, and the former champion looked close to his peak. The world No. 103 dominated behind serve, firing 11 aces, winning 90% of points behind his first delivery and facing no break points. Rublev struggled with 11 double faults and won just seven return points in the entire match.
Medvedev settles quickly against Etcheverry
Daniil Medvedev closed Tuesday's schedule with a straight-sets win over world No. 30 Tomas Martin Etcheverry. After an up-and-down week in 's-Hertogenbosch, the world No. 7 looked increasingly comfortable on grass, composed against an opponent capable of troubling higher-ranked players. Medvedev was particularly effective on return, winning 37% of points behind the Etcheverry first serve and 54% behind the second, while converting three break points. He also held firm under pressure, saving seven of the eight break points he faced.
Wednesday's preview
First round concludes on Wednesday with both the finalists of last week's ATP 250 BOSS Open in Stuttgart - Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz - coming to action. Apart from this, second seed Felix Auger Aliassime sets up an intriguing clash with Learner Tien and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev plays against Terence Atmane.
