Rotterdam Open: Zverev vs Kwon Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Rotterdam Open as Alexander Zverev takes on Soonwoo Kwon in the first round on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.

Will Alexander Zverev begin his 2023 Rotterdam Open campaign with a win? Or will Soonwoo Kwon pull off the upset? This should be a fascinating match as Zverev who is on the comeback trail is yet to find his footing this season. So who will prevail and advance into the second round?

Alexander Zverev’s comeback from an ankle injury he sustained at last year’s French Open has not been successful just yet. Zverev is still short on match fitness having missed almost seven months of action. His return at the United Cup did not yield any notable wins and he had a terrible Australian Open where he lost in the second round to USA’s Michael Mmoh. He failed to inspire Germany during the Davis Cup qualifiers as they lost to Switzerland. So could the upset be on the cards when he takes on Soonwoo Kwon?

Soonwoo Kwon, meanwhile, is nine spots away from matching his career-high ranking. The South Korean became the first player this season to achieve the amazing accomplishment of winning an ATP title as a lucky loser, doing so in Adelaide 2 last month. He ran the gauntlet at that tournament in one of the biggest underdog successes in this early part of the year. Kwon is also lethal on indoor hard courts, having famously captured the first ATP title of his career in Nur Sultan two years ago under the roof. So can he continue to mesmerize when he faces Alexander Zverev at the Rotterdam Open?

Alexander Zverev and Soonwoo Kwon have not played each other on the ATP Tour. Tuesday’s first-round match at the Rotterdam Open will be their first official meeting. Zverev is still short on match practice and defeats like the one he suffered at the Australian Open to Mmoh and at the Davis Cup to Marc-Andrea Huesler reinforce this point. His over-reliance on serve means that his general mobility on the court remains an area of vulnerability. I think we will see even more upsetting defeats for the German before he gets back in the groove. Soonwoo Kwon’s rally tolerance is fantastic and if he can play to his maximum abilities he’s got a fair chance of getting the win.