Alexander Zverev survived a major scare against Tallon Griekspoor in the Round of 32 at the Shanghai Masters. Next up for him is the experienced Belgian, David Goffin. Looking at Zverev’s form this season, we expect the German to make a deep run in this tournament. However, in tennis, we’ve witnessed several surprises in the past, and let me tell you, Goffin is more than capable of throwing a real challenge towards Zverev in this match. “I know Sascha quite well from training together. He’s had an incredible season; it will be a tough match,” said Goffin. It seems like the 33-year-old Belgian has already fastened his seatbelts for this epic battle!

Alexander Zverev vs David Goffin: Preview

Alexander Zverev has already won a title this year at the Italian Open. Apart from that, he reached the finals of the French Open and the German Open this year, but he failed to convert those chances into fruitful results in the final matches. Here in Shanghai, he defeated Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in the first match, 6-4, 6-2. Then in the second, Griekspoor pushed Zverev to three sets before surrendering to the grit of the mighty German. 

On the other hand, David Goffin has already played three matches this season. Among those three matches, two have been three-setters. He defeated America’s Marcos Giron by 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the Round of 32. Now, it’ll be interesting to see how well he approaches this match against a higher-ranked opponent. Goffin won a title this year at the Challenger Ilkley, GB, and apart from that, he made a couple of semifinal runs at the Challenger Cary, US, and the Winston-Salem Open.

Zverev vs Goffin: Head-to-Head

As per the ATP Tour.com, Alexander Zverev currently leads the head-to-head scoreline against the former world No. 7 by a 4-2 margin. Both players are quite experienced, so we expect this match to entertain a lot of fans.

• 2016 Munich QF: Zverev 6-3,4-6,6-3.
• 2018 Italian Open QF: Zverev 6-4,3-6,6-3.
• 2019 Halle Open QF: Goffin 3-6,6-1,7-6(3).
• 2021 Monte Carlos Masters R16: Goffin 6-4,7-6(7).
• 2023 Italian Open R64: Zvevrev 5-7,6-3,6-4.
• 2024 Frech Open R64: Zverev 7-6(4),6-2,6-2.

Prediction: Zverev to win in straight sets

Alexander Zverev (3) has been one of the most in-form players this season. He has a win-loss record of 56-18, and with matches coming thick and fast, we can expect this number to rise before the end of the season. David Goffin (66), on the other hand, has a win-loss record of just 14-15. So, considering all these factors, the German will perhaps come out victorious from this epic battle in Shanghai.

Zverev possesses a powerful and fast serve, while the Belgian excels at returning serves. Goffin is more of a skilled counterpuncher who often utilizes his opponent’s pace to his advantage. Both players possess excellent court coverage, so we can expect some flair in the long rallies.

Taking a closer look at their playing styles, David Goffin’s game is more baseline-oriented, and he’s considered an offensive baseliner. His precision and power in his groundstrokes are exceptional. Goffin has a strong forehand, which he uses to move opponents around the court. However, his two-handed backhand is his strongest shot, particularly down the line. Although Goffin is solid at the net, this isn’t one of his major weapons.

Now, talking about the German, Alexander Zverev is also an aggressive baseliner. He loves to stand far behind the baseline, and we often see him aiming to hit powerful groundstrokes, either for winners or to wear down his opponents. He can also generate significant power behind both his backhand and forehand shots. Zverev is quite lethal on serves as well—he has hit 659 aces this season and committed just 158 double faults. In his two matches in Shanghai so far, he has already hit 18 aces. We’re expecting a few more in the next match as well. With these weapons at his disposal, we expect Zverev to dominate the court against Goffin on Wednesday, October 9.