By Tony Fairbairn
- Jack Draper def Sebastian Baez [5] 6-1 6-3
- Draper v Miomir Kecmanovic | H2H: First Meeting
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – Jack Draper eased past fifth seed Sebastian Baez in Adelaide to reach the second round where he will face Miomir Kecmanovic in a rematch from their Davis Cup tie.
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Jack Draper def Sebastian Baez [5] 6-1 6-3
Jack Draper continued the momentum from the 2023 season as he only dropped four games to fifth seed Sebastian Baez on his way to the second round in Adelaide. The Brit produced a dominant opening set as he displayed his brutal power from the baseline. Baez responded well to force Draper into tight service games but it was Draper who won the crucial points as he broke for a 3-1 lead.
After a long service hold, Draper went back to work on Baez’s serve as the Argentinian lacked depth and power to compete with the Brit’s all-court game. The world number 62 produced eight winners in the opening set as he converted his third break point of the set to take a 5-1 lead. More half-opportunities were created from Baez in the seventh game but Draper powered to the opening set as he ended the 33 minute set with a forehand cross-court winner.
In the second set Baez had more consistency to his game as he produced deep shots to force Draper behind the baseline. However the Brit responded with some ridiculous shot-making including a backhand volley while doing the splits. Draper’s overall quality saw him break in the third game as he took a 2-1 lead.
Draper continued to use his power to cruise through his service games while Baez continued to gradually build confidence in the longer rallies on serve. However the Brit’s returning dominance and power was too much for Baez as a double fault from the Argentinian secured a fourth break of serve for Draper and a place in the second round in Adelaide.
Jack Draper v Miomir Kecmanovic H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jack Draper v Miomir Kecmanovic | H2H: Tied at 1-1 |
| ATP Adelaide 2024 | Adelaide, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $11,610 |
| Second on Court Three (02:00 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Draper will now take on Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round in a rematch from their match at the Davis Cup which Kecmanovic won in two tiebreaks.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2023)
| H2H: | Jack Draper (WR 61) | Miomir Kecmanovic (WR 55) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Semi-Final (2023) | Quarter-Final (2023) |
| 1st Serve % | 60 | 60.6 |
| Service Games Won % | 86.1 | 78.1 |
| Break Points Saved % | 70.4 | 63.5 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 53.2 | 50.7 |
| Break Points Converted % | 46.2 | 40 |
Draper will look to use his efficiency on break points to his advantage against a consistent server like Kecmanovic.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Kecmanovic will be hoping this season will be much better than last season after the Serb failed to find consistent wins in 2023. The Serb will look to rediscover his accurate serving as he looks to find his way back into the world’s top 50 and maybe even challenge for a seeding place at Grand Slams.
Draper will look to be aggressive on serve and will need to be more clinical then he was in their Davis Cup tie if he wants a chance of winning the match. Meanwhile Kecmanovic will look to be consistent from the baseline as he will rely on his aggressive serve neutralising Draper’s baseline precision. This will be a close match but Draper’s confidence and quality should prove too strong in this match.
Prediction: Draper in three sets.
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