Adelaide International 2024: Tommy Paul vs Jack Draper preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Tommy Paul vs Jack Draper
Date: January 11, 2024
Tournament: Adelaide International 2024
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, Australia
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor hard
Prize money: $661,585
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Tommy Paul vs Jack Draper preview
Top seed Tommy Paul will play against Jack Draper in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Adelaide International on Thursday.
After a first-round bye, Paul started his campaign here against qualifier Alex Bolt. The American wasted no time in gettng down to business and landed the first blow in the opening set to surge ahead 4-1. He maintained the lead until the end of the set to win it.
The second set played out in a similar manner. Paul leapt to a 4-0 lead and soon served for the match. He then encountered some resistance from Bolt, who first saved a couple of match points and even held two break points after that. But the American got the situation under control to score a 6-3, 6-2 win.
Draper played a fantastic match to upset fifth seed Sebastian Baez 6-3, 6-1 in the first round. He next took on Miomir Kecmanovic for a spot in the last eight. The two traded service breaks to start the match, but remained solid on serve after that.
It looked like the set was headed to a tie-break, but Draper got broken in the last game of the set, which cost him the opener. The second set was a close affair, as the Brit saved a couple of match points in the tie-break en route to clinching the set.
Neither player budged on serve in the third set, which also went to a tie-break. Draper trailed 4-1 in it, but staged a remarkable turnaround to win the match 5-7, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (7).
Tommy Paul vs Jack Draper head-to-head
Draper leads Paul 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2023 Adelaide International 2 in straight sets.
Tommy Paul vs Jack Draper odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Tommy Paul vs Jack Draper prediction
Paul showed no signs of rust in his first match of the new season. He fired 11 aces and didn't drop his serve even once against Bolt. He struck 25 winners in all, as compared to 11 unforced errors.
Draper, meanwhile, showed nerves of steel to edge past Kecmanovic. He looked down and out for the count, but raised his level when it mattered to get the job done. The British youngster blasted 41 winners, but almost matched it with an equally high error count, which stood at 40.
Draper got the better of Paul quite comfortably the only time they played, which was coincidentally at this venue. The American looked quite sharp in this previous match, while the Brit was pushed to the limits, but proved his mettle.
Both have displayed some incredible shotmaking this week. This could turn out to be a photo finish given their form, with the match potentially swinging Draper's way once again.
Pick: Jack Draper to win in three sets.