Medvedev and Tsitsipas Advance in Halle: Wimbledon Hopes Rekindle

Daniil Medvedev, the Russian third seed, smoothly defeated Germany's Daniel Altmaier 6-3 6-3 at the Halle Open, preparing for Wimbledon after early exits at the Australian and French Opens. Medvedev, a former U.S. Open champion, aims for his first grass-court victory since 2021, defeating Altmaier within an hour.

Medvedev's opponent, Altmaier, managed to save two match points, but Medvedev prevailed on the third. Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas, recently coached by Goran Ivanisevic, narrowly overcame Italy's Luciano Darderi 6-4 3-6 7-6(5) in a challenging first-round clash, showcasing tenacity on his path to career resurgence.

In other results, Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, the Halle 2023 champion, eliminated France's Alexandre Muller 6-4 6-4. Bublik, coming off a French Open quarter-final appearance, will face either defending champion Jannik Sinner or Germany's Yannick Hanfmann. Injured Hubert Hurkacz is replaced by Jesper de Jong.

(With inputs from agencies.)