US Open 2024 SF: Jannik Sinner vs Jack Draper preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Jannik Sinner vs (25) Jack Draper
Date: September 6, 2023
Tournament: US Open 2024
Round: Semifinal
Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, U.S.A.
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $75,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN, RDS | India - Sony Network
Jannik Sinner vs Jack Draper preview
Top seed Jannik Sinner will continue his quest for a maiden US Open crown against good friend and 25th seed Jack Draper in a highly anticipated semifinal clash on Friday, September 6.
Sinner entered the US Open in strong form after a title-winning run in Cincinnati. His start in New York, however, was less than ideal as he was tested in his opener by Mackenzie McDonald. He did manage to quickly recover and seal the win in four sets. He then went on to secure a trio of dominant straight-sets victories over Alex Michelsen, Christopher O'Connell, and Tommy Paul en route to the quarterfinals.
Up against familiar foe Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, in their third Grand Slam clash of the year, Sinner quickly got off to a strong start. He broke Medvedev's serve twice to take a comfortably take the first set. The Russian responded in the second set with two breaks of his own to level the match.
The third set mirrored the second, with Sinner winning it by the same score. As the match progressed into the fourth set, Sinner found his rhythm and continued to pepper an errant Medvedev with powerful baseline shots. A decisive break in the seventh game proved crucial for the Italian, who served out the match soon to claim a convincing 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory.
Draper, meanwhile, kicked off his US Open campaign against Zhizhen Zhang, winning the first two sets comfortably and leading 4-0 in the third when Zhang was forced to retire due to injury. He defeated Facundo Diaz Acosta, Botic van de Zandschulp, and Tomas Machac in the next rounds, dropping serve just once across those matches en route to securing a spot in his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Draper faced 10th seed Alex de Minaur next. In stark contrast to their previous meetings, it was Draper this time around who started stronger, breaking de Minaur in the fourth game to gain the early advantage. That moment proved crucial as he went on to win the set with a blistering cross-court forehand.
The second set was much tighter, with both players delivering some excellent service games. However, a poorly played 11th game by de Minaur allowed Draper to break serve and secure the set in the following game. Draper dominated the third set, overshadowing a visibly struggling de Minaur's lackluster efforts. Two breaks of serve his way saw him secure a historic 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Jannik Sinner vs Jack Draper head-to-head
Jack Draper edges Jannik Sinner 1-0 in their head-to-head, having won their only previous encounter 7-6(6), 7-6(2) at the Queen's Club in 2021.
Jannik Sinner vs Jack Draper odds
(Odds to be added once made available)
Jannik Sinner vs Jack Draper prediction
Jannik Sinner lost his first set in New York this year but hasn’t looked back since. He has dominated every opponent with his powerful baseline game and solid serve. His net game continues to improve and has aided him well this fortnight.
Draper has been equally impressive, having yet to drop a set, unlike Sinner, who has lost two. The Brit’s fearless approach and powerful hitting have yielded great results, leaving fans to wonder how much further he can go.
Sinner and Draper know each other well, having even played doubles together in Montreal before the US Open. Their blistering groundstrokes and big serves complement each other, promising a thrilling match if they continue their current level of performance.
Sinner has a slight edge due to his superior hard court record this year and his experience in the latter stages of tournaments, particularly Grand Slams. Draper on the contrary is due to play his first ever Grand Slam semifinal.
Draper, however, has won their only previous encounter and can also draw plenty of confidence from his current momentum. He will need to deliver another high-quality performance to topple the top seed and pull off another upset at this year's US Open.
Pick: Sinner in four sets.