By Tony Fairbairn
- Jack Draper def Tommy Paul [1] 6-1 6-4
- Draper v Alexander Bublik [8] | H2H: Draper leads 1-0
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – Jack Draper cruised past an underwhelming Tommy Paul to reach the semi-finals in Adelaide where he will face eighth seed Alexander Bublik.
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Jack Draper def Tommy Paul [1] 6-1 6-4
Jack Draper is into the semi-finals in Adelaide after a dominant display of power against top seed Tommy Paul. Despite playing a three hour and 40 minute contest in his previous round, Draper looked fresh and energised as he continued to dictate the tempo of the rallies with his forehand. In comparison, Paul played a very quick second round match but looked as if he was the one who played a three hour epic in the last round as he looked flat and unmotivated.
The American produced a flurry of unforced errors in the opening game as Draper broke and consolidated in quick fashion. The Brit’s barrage didn’t end there as a double fault from the American summarized what was a catastrophic first few games for Paul as Draper took a double break lead.
Eventually the American settled into the match as he edged towards a service hold in the fifth game. However that only delayed the inevitable as more forehand winners from Draper secured a third break of the set as he captured the opening set in 28 minutes.
In the second set, there was more consistency from Paul as he engaged in longer rallies and closed down the angles on Draper’s forehand as he frustrated the Brit in the opening stages of the set. There was also more urgency on return from the top seed as he managed to create his first break point of the match in the fifth game. However that opportunity was quickly denied by Draper as a few big serves saw him hold for a 3-2 lead.
That was a key moment in the match as Draper found his confidence back on return, creating two break points in the next game. However it was Paul’s turn to produce some big points at a crucial stage in the match as he held for 3-3. As the set went on, there were signs that this was a big moment in the match for the American but on return he could not win the crucial points as Draper continued to thrash down big first serves.
When the pressure was on, Draper delivered and Paul couldn’t match the level required. In the tenth game Draper hit a ridiculous forehand down-the-line passing shot winner to break for a fourth time in the match and seal a place in the semi-finals.
Jack Draper v Alexander Bublik [8] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jack Draper v Alexander Bublik [8] | H2H: Draper leads 1-0 |
| ATP Adelaide 2024 | Adelaide, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $34,510 |
| Fourth on Centre Court (Not before 08:00 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Draper will take on eighth seed Alexander Bublik for a place in his second consecutive ATP final.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2023)
| H2H: | Jack Draper (WR 62) | Alexander Bublik (WR 31) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Semi-Final (2023) | R2 (2020) |
| 1st Serve % | 60 | 59.1 |
| Service Games Won % | 86.1 | 81.5 |
| Break Points Saved % | 70.4 | 60.7 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 53.2 | 47.8 |
| Break Points Converted % | 46.2 | 40.9 |
Draper will look to be efficient on return as he will not have many opportunities against an effective server like Bublik.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Bublik is into the semi-finals after saving match point to defeat Lorenzo Musetti in a three set thriller. The eccentric Kazakh will be hoping to keep up his good form as he looks to rise up the rankings and continue to improve at the big events where he will look to do a lot better in 2024.
Draper will look to dictate play from the forehand and use a mixture of depth as well as pace to catch Bublik off guard from the baseline. Meanwhile the Kazakh will look to continue to serve efficiently as he will look to finish points off at the net. This should be an entertaining contest with a lot of hard-hitting and flair but should Draper keep his concentration then he should reach his second consecutive ATP final.
Prediction: Draper in three sets.
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