US Open 2023: Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (17) Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper
Date: August 31, 2023
Tournament: US Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $65,000,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | Canada - TSN | UK - Sky Sports | India - Sony Sports
Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper preview
Hubert Hurkacz and Jack Draper are set to meet in the second round of the 2023 US Open on Thursday.
Hurkacz was up against Marc-Andrea Huesler in the first round. The former lost the first couple of sets and came quite close to making an early exit. The Pole came down from a break twice in the third set to force a tie-break, in which he came out on top to keep himself in contention.
The proved to be the turning point of the match as Hurkacz started to control the play more and more. He broke Huesler's serve twice to nab the fourth set. The 26-year old dished out a breadstick in the deciding set to notch up a 4-6, 5-7, 7-6 (0), 6-3, 6-1 comeback victory.
Draper was drawn against Radu Albot in the first round. The former lost just one game in the first set to claim it with ease. The two were neck and neck in the second set, but the Brit pulled ahead towards the end by bagging three straight ganes to take the set.
Draper started the third set by securing a break of serve and maintained the lead until the end. He then broke Albot's serve one last time to win the match 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and record his first Grand Slam win since last year's US Open.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper head-to-head
Hurkacz leads Draper 2-0 in the head-to-head. He was the winner in their previous encounter at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters in three sets.
Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper prediction
Hurkacz had one foot out the door when he turned the tables on Huesler to win the match. The Pole shot down 19 aces coupled with 54 winners, while his unforced error count stood at 30.
In a season plagued by injuries, Draper finally notched up a decent win by ousting Albot. He didn't lose his serve even once and outplayed his opponent in every possible manner in the match.
Draper has managed to push Hurkacz to three sets in the past, but fell shy of scoring a win. This will be their first meeting at a Major. While the Brit has made it to the third round in New York before, the Pole will be attempting to reach the stage for the first time.
Hurkacz's poor showing at the US Open, along with his rather inconsistent gameplay throughout the season, puts him in a shaky position. Draper is the more aggressive player between the two and once the young Brit gets in the zone, it could prove to be difficult to stop him.
However, Draper's body has let him down in the past. Just last week he competed in his first ATP tournament since the French Open and he was forced to retire in the second round. If he's fully fit, he has the potential to score an upset here, otherwise Hurkacz could stage another escape act to move forward.
Pick: Hubert Hurkacz to win in four sets.