"I need to be aggressive and ready to come to the net," Sonego sets the tone for his match against Zverev in Halle

World No. 46 Lorenzo Sonego has made a strong start to his Halle tournament. After losing his opening match to Quentin Halys last week in Stuttgart, the Italian has reached the round of 16 at another German event but will now face world No. 3 Alexander Zverev if he hopes to progress further this year.

Last year, in this same tournament, Zverev ended Sonego’s run in Halle (6-4, 7-6). In fact, Sonego has never beaten Zverev in their four previous meetings, winning just one set in total.

Eager for revenge, the Turin native is determined to break the curse but knows he’ll need a tactically flawless performance to succeed, as he confirmed in his press conference.

"Beyond the win, I’m happy with the match I played (against Jan-Lennard Struff, winning 6-3, 6-2 in the previous round). On grass, it’s always tough because everything can change in an instant.

So I’m satisfied with the attitude I showed. I haven’t been on a winning streak lately, but I always manage to bounce back. That proves I can maintain a high level throughout the match, and that’s important.

Today, I felt in good shape, had positive sensations, and enjoyed myself on the court. That’s how I need to play on grass. I have to be aggressive, mix up my serve, and be ready to come to the net. I need to try to replicate this game in every match," Sonego told Tennis World Italia.