Zverev survives Kopriva test at Halle as defending champion Bublik dumped out

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Zverev[/a], who recently claimed his first ‌Grand Slam title at the French ‌Open, looked in control as he took the opening set comfortably. But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kopriva-vit/EHGKxKDL/"]Kopriva[/a], ranked ‌64th, hit back to level the ⁠match, as ‌he won a late break point and then ​claimed the second set, pushing the match to a decider.[/p][p][b]Kopriva finished ​the second set with 14 winners, while Zverev finished with 11, before the ⁠German regrouped ​and closed out a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/kopriva-v-EHGKxKDL/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=bHM9Mm0e"]6-3, 4-6, 6-2[/a] victory to start his grass season with a win.[/b][/p][embed guid="0ee4e95d-b17d-4485-b7eb-309f4e9805ab" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2066905075256017155" social-type="twitter" /][p]That sets up an all-German clash ‌with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hanfmann-yannick/zLJYYbhm/"]Yannick Hanfmann[/a] in the next round. He defeated rising Brazilian teenager [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fonseca-joao/tv073LUc/"]Joao Fonseca[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/fonseca-j-tv073LUc/hanfmann-y-zLJYYbhm/?mid=W2QAt9iR"]6-2, 6-2[/a] in the first round.[/p][p]Earlier, Italian qualifier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellucci-mattia/M9pojLqi/"]Mattia Bellucci[/a] produced a clinical display to knock out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bublik-alexander/t0WN9vR6/"]Bublik[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bellucci-m-M9pojLqi/bublik-a-t0WN9vR6/?mid=EcSaSGa5"]7-6(6), 6-1[/a] in just 75 minutes. The world number 74 outplayed the seventh-seeded ‌Kazakh on his preferred grass surface.[/p][p][b]Bublik, ​a champion in Halle in 2023 ‌and 2025, also missed an opportunity to strengthen his push towards the top 10 following the defeat.[/b][/p][p]Bellucci will next face Belgium’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/collignon-raphael/xzJGXJ6t/"]Raphael Collignon[/a] for a ⁠place in ⁠the quarter-finals.[/p]