It is an exciting Round of 32 clash between Britain's rising star, Jack Draper, and the powerhouse from the United States, Taylor Fritz, at the ATP Paris Masters. With both men having strong seasons, each is fighting to solidify their position in the ATP, so this encounter becomes more salient. Draper, riding a wave of six consecutive victories, flies high on confidence. But Fritz has always been a challenge; even though he recently lost to Novak Djokovic, he holds a special liking for indoor hard courts. With two already sharing three matches between them, this is going to be yet another exciting chapter in their growing rivalry.
Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz have faced off three times, with Fritz leading 2-1. The most recent match between the two was at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which Fritz won in three sets. The experience and big serve often see Fritz through, but the form of Draper of late has been such that this might be a far cry from straightforward. Their history of playing close matches underlines how well each player knows his opponent's game, hence the right adjustments become very crucial.
Claim Welcome BonusJack Draper
The world No. 15 has been in great form, going 8-2 over his last ten matches. He has a six-match win streak, highlighted by a comfortable 2-0 win against Jiri Lehecka. Draper's powerful game and newly found consistency make him a problem for anyone on tour.
The serve has become one of the key weapons of Draper. First-serve percent will be something he'll try to keep high to keep Fritz on the back foot, trying to gun aces or soft follow-up shots.
He will attempt to neutralize the baseline game of Fritz, and Draper could vary it with net approaches through powerful groundstrokes to set up for volleys, to shorten points.
Draper could target more toward Fritz's backhand, particularly when the game reaches its critical point. Although Fritz's two-handed backhand was solid, it was not consistent, especially when under pressure.
Taylor Fritz
It also faces very strong opposition in the match coming from No. 6 ranked Taylor Fritz, using his aggressive baseline game and heavy groundstrokes. His recent record coming into this tournament is 6-4, but he did lose a tight match in Shanghai against Novak Djokovic. Fritz's experience will help, as much of his playing career has been under high pressure. He tries to be dominant over Draper, defeating him 2-1 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The crux of Fritz's game is to be able to control play from the baseline with strong, regular groundstrokes. He will seek to employ Draper in crosscourt forehand rallies as he looks to force errors and set up winners.
Fritz has one of the better serves on the ATP Tour. He is a player who depends on acquiring inexpensive points via aces and well-placed serves that take away momentum from an opponent in return games.
Fritz can also take advantage of Draper's movement onto his backhand side, really forcing him wide or dragging him into the net. With Draper more comfortable rallying from the baseline, it could disrupt his rhythm.
Expert Betting Tips
Jack Draper's outstanding winning streak indicates great confidence and form that is not to be ignored. He has won six in a row without losing a set, so his form is excellent, while Fritz has been very consistent but with mixed results lately. Overall, covering the court, improved shot selection, and aggressive net play have made Draper a much more complete player than their earlier meetings. However, Fritz can be tough with his experience and strong baseline game on indoor hard courts.
This is a close call, and Draper should have the edge on paper form. However, Fritz's tactical baseline strengths could challenge Draper if he can't succeed in making points short or winning out games on serve. Can see this going three ways; with Draper slightly favored, because of his current streak and recent improvements in mental resilience.
- Over 22.5 Games @ 1.6 Odds
- Total 3 Sets @ 2.20 Odds
- Taylor Fritz Wins First Set @ 1.66 Odds
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