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Match Details
Fixture: (6) Alexander Zverev vs Dominik Koepfer
Date: Sunday, January 14, 2024
Tournament: Australian Open 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hard
Prize money: $39,264,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN, Tennis Channel | Australia - Nine Network, Stan Sport | India and Indian Subcontinent - Sony Sports Network
Alexander Zverev vs Dominik Koepfer preview
Sixth seed Alexander Zverev opens his campaign at the Australian Open against Dominik Koepfer in an all-German first-round tussle.
World No. 6 Zverev opened his 2024 season by leading Germany to the United Cup mixed team title, winning four of his five matches. His only loss came to Australia's Alex de Minaur in three sets in the semifinal. Three of his four victories last week came in three sets, though.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a 55-27 2023 season, winning titles in Hamburg and Chengdu. He had a decent year in Grand Slams, making the second round at the Australian Open, semifinals at Roland Garros, third round at Wimbledon, and quarterfinals at the US Open.
Zverev also made five semifinals, including the Cincinnati Masters and Beijing. He qualified for the season-ending ATP Finals, getting eliminated in the group stage despite winning two of his three matches.
Meanwhile, the 61st-ranked Koepfer is making his season debut, having won the Canberra Challenger title. He mostly played on the Challenger Tour last year, making five finals, and winning two.
The 29-year-old also reached the quarterfinals in Atlanta and semis in Los Cabos in back-to-back weeks on the North American hardcourts. He lost in the first round at Wimbledon and US Open and failed to get out of qualifying at Roland Garros.
Alexander Zverev vs Dominik Koepfer head-to-head
Zverev has won both his meetings with Koepfer, including their last clash in the Halle opening round in 2021 in three sets. This will be their second meeting on hardcourt, having previously met in the Acapulco semifinal in 2021.
Alexander Zverev vs Dominik Koepfer odds
The odds will be updated when they are released.
Alexander Zverev vs Dominik Koepfer prediction
Both Zverev and Koepfer look to dominate opponents from the back of the court, but the similarities in their game styles end there. Zverev is one of the biggest servers and most powerful strikers of the ball and moves exceedingly well for his height while the left-handed Koepfer has more modest attributes.
Zverev also enjoys a distinct edge over his older compatriot due to his superior experience, pedigree, and consistency on hardcourt. The 2020 US Open finalist is yet to make his Grand Slam breakthrough but has had good results on the surface.
Although both players are off to good starts to the year, expect Zverev to continue his perfect record against Koepfer.
Pick: Zverev in straight sets
