By Tony Fairbairn
- Jack Draper def Mariano Navone 6-3 6-2
- Draper v Carlos Alcaraz [1] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 2-0
LONDON, ENGLAND – Jack Draper thrashed Mariano Navone to set up a second round meeting with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s Club.
 |
|---|
Jack Draper def Mariano Navone 6-3 6-2
Jack Draper celebrated becoming the new British number one by thrashing Mariano Navone to reach the second round at Queen’s Club. The Stuttgart continued his impressive serving from last week having only dropped four points on serve against the Argentinian. It wasn’t just on serve that Draper impressed as his forehand dictated play on return with Draper breaking in the third game for a 2-1 lead.
The Argentinian, who was more of a clay court specialist, gradually gained confidence in his baseline game as he produced better consistency to keep the pressure on Draper. However, Draper continued to put an immense amount of pressure on Navone as he was clinical on serve. Another sensational return from Draper sealed a second break of serve in the ninth game to close out the opening set in 27 minutes.
In the second set Draper was literally flawless on serve as he didn’t lose a single point as he rushed Navone’s return game with stunning first serves. A flustered Argentinian did his best to deny Draper as he produced some effective patterns of play to save three break points in the fourth game to hold for 2-2.
All Navone was doing was delaying the inevitable as the Argentinian committed more double faults and Draper capitalize by breaking in the last two return games to seal a place in the second round of Queen’s Club.
Jack Draper v Carlos Alcaraz [1] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jack Draper v Carlos Alcaraz [1] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 2-0 |
| ATP Queen’s Club 2024 | London, England |
| Grass (O) | Prize Money: €32,990 |
| Second on Centre Court (13:30 BST) | BBC IPlayer |
Draper now faces the ultimate test of his form and confidence when he takes on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the second round.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Jack Draper (WR 31) | Carlos Alcaraz (WR 2) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Quarter-Final (2021) | Champion (2023) |
| 1st Serve % | 57.4 | 67.4 |
| Service Games Won % | 80.6 | 84.3 |
| Break Points Saved % | 57.4 | 62 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 51.6 | 58 |
| Break Points Converted % | 47 | 45.1 |
Draper will aim to continue his aggression on serve and will need to keep his first serve percentage up as he looks to neutralize Alcaraz’s returning variety.
 |
|---|
Playing Styles and Prediction
The numbers suggest that Alcaraz will be a very tough player to beat in the next months. Defending Queen’s Club and Wimbledon champion as well as recently winning his third Grand Slam title at Roland Garros means that the Spaniard is high on confidence and form. Now Alcaraz aims to continue his winning streak at Queen’s Club and continue to cement his status as favourite for another Wimbledon title.
Draper will aim to continue his aggressive serving while looking to set up Alcaraz’s returning on his forehand. Meanwhile Alcaraz will use the angles on the forehand to make Draper move around the court as the longer the rallies are the better it is for Alcaraz’s chances of winning the match. Draper’s current form suggests that he will give Alcaraz an intense test and if the Brit has a good start to the match then he has a good chance of producing the best win of his career.
Prediction: Alcaraz in three sets.
How to Watch/Follow ATP Queen’s Club 2024
| Live Stream | BBC Two/BBC IPlayer |
| Live Scores | Tennis Scores Powered By TNNSLIVE |
 Sign up to PBLC for free to support ongoing contributions from Britwatch Sports |
|---|
| Follow Britwatch - Sport in General, Brits in Particular! | |
|---|---|
| Soundcloud | |
| YouTube | |
| We may receive compensation for products purchased via affiliate links on this website | |