Paris Masters 2022: Frances Tiafoe vs Jack Draper preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (16) Frances Tiafoe vs Jack Draper.
Date: November 2, 2022.
Tournament: Paris Masters 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 32).
Venue: Paris, France.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: €5,415,410.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN & Sportsnet | UK - Amazon Prime.
Frances Tiafoe vs Jack Draper preview
World No. 21 Frances Tiafoe is set to clash against British youngster Jack Draper in the second round of the 2022 Paris Masters on Wednesday.
Tiafoe was up against Lorenzo Sonego in the first round. He snagged a break of serve in the seventh game of the opening set to go 4-3 up and extended his lead to 5-3 with a hold of serve. He soon clinched the set by serving it out after that.
The American secured an early break of serve in the second set as he jumped to a 3-1 lead. He managed to hold on to the advantage until the end to win the match 6-4, 6-4. This marked his first victory in the tournament since making the second round here upon his debut back in 2018.
Jack Draper faced home favorite Arthur Rinderknech in the opening round here. The Frenchman had reached the quarterfinals of his last four tournaments prior to competing in Paris.
The two started strong in the first set, but Draper raised his level as he went on a three-game run to go 5-2 up. After a hold of serve by Rinderknech, the Brit served out the set to put himself in the lead.
The second set played out in a similar manner. After initially being steady on serve, Draper won three games in a row to lead 5-3. Rinderknech held serve after that, putting the onus of serving out the match on his opponent. The Frenchman held a couple of break points, but the 20-year-old erased them to wrap up the match 6-3, 6-4 and make a winning debut in Paris.
Frances Tiafoe vs Jack Draper head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Frances Tiafoe vs Jack Draper odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Frances Tiafoe vs Jack Draper prediction
Both players made it to the second round without breaking a sweat. Draper did face a minor hiccup while closing out the match against Rinderknech but didn't let the situation spiral out of control. The Brit won a massive 97% of his first serve points, though he managed to win about half of his second serve points in play. He ended the match with 25 winners and nine unforced errors.
Tiafoe didn't face a single break point in the previous round against Sonego and remained in control of the match from start to finish. The American struck 22 winners while committing just seven unforced errors.
Both players are quite solid when it comes to their serving prowess and are quite adept at handling baseline duels. Draper has improved a lot this year and has given plenty of top players a tough fight. Tiafoe, too, is having a career-best season.
The match could go the distance, especially with fine shotmakers like Tiafoe and Draper in the mix. The American's experience might tilt things in his favor, but it's unwise to count out his younger opponent.
Pick: Frances Tiafoe to win in three sets.