Nikoloz Basilashvili defeated Andrey Rublev 7–6, 6–4 at the ATP 250 Halle tournament on grass in the first round, an upset victory against the pre-match favourite. Rublev entered as the clear favourite at 1.31 odds, whilst Basilashvili was priced at 3.72, yet the Georgian produced a composed display to claim a tight opening set via tiebreak before consolidating his advantage in the second. The result marked a significant scalp for Basilashvili on the grass courts and demonstrated his capacity to trouble higher-ranked opponents in the early stages of tournaments. Basilashvili's progression to the second round strengthens his grass-court credentials ahead of the season's major events.