BMW Munich Open Round-Up: Zverev and Shelton smash their way into quarters

The first Round of 16 clashes at the BMW Munich Open came to a close, featuring the much-anticipated debuts of the tournament’s top two seeds: Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton.

he ATP 250 event on clay saw both stars secure their first spots in the quarter-finals, with four players now confirmed for the final eight.

Tallon Griekspoor came into Munich with confidence, having reached the Marrakech Open final just two weeks ago. Although he suffered an early Monte-Carlo exit at the hands of Arthur Fils, the Dutchman has shown consistent form in 2025, notching wins over top players such as Ugo Humbert, Matteo Berrettini, Daniil Medvedev and even Alexander Zverev.

In Munich, he faced home favourite and wildcard Yannik Hanfmann—who had just defeated 2025 Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik. Griekspoor's experience made the difference, claiming a solid win despite his best results coming on hard courts. He’s clearly adapting to slower surfaces and continues his push towards a return to the top 30.

All eyes were on the all-German showdown between Alexander Zverev and Daniel Altmaier, especially with the World No. 3 returning to play in front of home fans. After a surprising early loss in Monte-Carlo, ‘Sascha’ reminded everyone why he’s the title favourite in Munich.

Following a routine debut win over Alexandre Muller (6-4, 6-1), Zverev breezed past Altmaier 6-3, 6-2. The top seed won 79% of points behind his first serve and 49% on return, showcasing great net play (winning 14 of 15 points at the net). However, with 14 winners and 22 unforced errors, there’s still room for improvement ahead of his next match.

Zverev, a Munich champion in 2017 and 2018, now begins a crucial points defense that includes last year’s Italian Open title and Roland Garros final—he was second only to Carlos Alcaraz in clay-court points last season.

Van de Zandschulp had already enjoyed success in his two previous appearances in Munich, reaching the final both times. However, an injury forced him to retire mid-match against Holger Rune in the 2022 final, and in 2023 he was defeated in a third-set tiebreak—again by Rune. This time, the first-round challenge was even greater, facing Ben Shelton, and the American did not disappoint.

In the first set, Shelton took the lead early with a break that put him ahead 3-0. However, with the score at 4-2, he gave his opponent a break chance, which Botic converted to level the set. It all came down to the tiebreak, where Shelton quickly took control with three consecutive mini-breaks and claimed the set 7-6(7-1).

The second set followed a similar pattern—Shelton secured an early break, and although Botic fought from behind, he couldn’t earn a single break point. A dominant 6-4, 6-3 win for Shelton, who is looking increasingly comfortable on clay courts and, as the second seed, clearly has high ambitions in Munich.

23-year-old Italian Luciano Darderi can already boast two ATP 250 titles on clay courts, the most recent just 10 days ago in Marrakech, and he began finding his place in the Top 50 last year. Currently ranked World No. 47, he is part of the legion of Italians who have broken through on Tour over the past couple of years.

He battled through a tight match, coming from behind after trailing 2-6, 1-4 to earn a remarkable 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory over Miomir Kecmanovic. The Argentine-Italian player proved superior in the key moments, posting an impressive 77% of points won on first serve – compared to 71% for Kecmanovic – and advanced to the quarter-finals, where he secured a clash with Ben Shelton for a spot in the semi-finals.