Rotterdam 2023: Alexander Zverev vs Kwon Soon-woo preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | ABN AMRO Open

Match Details

Fixture: (8) Alexander Zverev vs Kwon Soon-woo

Date: February 13, 2023

Tournament: ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament - Rotterdam Open 2023

Venue: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam

Round: First Round (Round of 32)

Category: ATP 500

Surface: Indoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $2,220,238

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Alexander Zverev vs Kwon Soon-woo preview

Alexander Zverev at the 2023 Australian Open

Former World No. 2 Alexander Zverev will take on Kwon Soon-woo in the first round of the 2023 ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam.

Zverev returned from a six-month hiatus to participate at the 2023 Australian Open to kick off his new season. His ankle injury in the semifinals of the 2022 Roland Garros Championship kept him out of commission for a large part of last year, at the very end of which he managed to compete in a couple of exhibition tournaments and the United Cup for Germany.

Upon his return, Zverev faced Juan Pablo Varillas in the first round of the tournament, a close-encounter the German eventually won in five sets. He faced Michael Mmoh in the second round and won the first set in the tiebreak. However, he failed to continue the momentum as he lost the next three sets in quick succession and was ousted from the tournament.

The World No. 16 then represented Germany at the Davis Cup Qualifiers as they took on Switzerland. Zverev enjoyed a flawless victory against Stan Wawrinka, winning 6-4, 6-1. The German was thrilled with the win and said that it was the best he had felt since his return from injury. Unfortunately, he lost his next match against Marc-Andrea Huesler, which gave the Swiss contingent the win in the tie.

Kwon Soon-woo, meanwhile, began his season at the 2023 Adelaide International 1. He played through the qualifiers to make it to the main draw of the tournament. However, he lost his first-round match against Jack Draper 6-2, 6-1.

Kwon played the Adelaide International 2 the subsequent week, where he enjoyed great success. Kwon battled past Pablo Carreno Busta and Mikael Ymer to face Jack Draper again in the semifinals. The 25-year-old won the encounter in three sets and took on Roberto Bautista Agut in the final, whom he defeated to win his second ATP title.

Unfortunately, Kwon was unable to replicate his success at the 2023 Australian Open, losing his first-round match against Christopher Eubanks in a grueling five-set encounter.

Alexander Zverev vs Kwon Soon-woo head-to-head

The head-to-head between the two stands at 0-0 as they haven't faced each other on the ATP Tour before.

Alexander Zverev vs Kwon Soon-woo odds

Players	Moneyline	Handicap bets	Total Games
Alexander Zverev	-165	-2.5 (-110)	Over 22.5 (-120)
Soon Woo Kwon	+130	+2.5 (-125)	Under 22.5 (-115)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Alexander Zverev vs Kwon Soon-woo prediction

Kwon Soon-woo at the 2023 Adelaide International 2

Kwon Soon-woo will favor himself to win the match against an inconsistent Zverev. However, the German should not be counted out as he has been steadily improving since his return from injury.

Zverev's aggressive baseline play and strong serve will work in his favor against Kwon. The German's defensive ability, coupled with his powerful backhand, will force the Korean into making errors.

Kwon's drop shots will be his best weapon in countering Zverev, whose net play ability can be lacking at times. Zverev will also have to curb his propensity for double faults.The German had 17 double faults across two matches at the Australian Open. He will have to be more consistent with his serve so as to not give away any free games to his opponent.

While the advantage of form is with neither player, Zverev has the benefit of additional experience and could very well grind out a win against the 25-year-old on Monday.

Pick: Alexander Zverev to win in three sets.