By Tony Fairbairn
- Jack Draper def Mattia Bellucci [Q] 6-4 6-2
- Draper v Hubert Hurkacz [2] | H2H: Hurkacz leads 4-1
TOKYO, JAPAN – Jack Draper thrashed Mattia Bellucci in Tokyo and will now face Hubert Hurkacz for the third time this season.
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Jack Draper def Mattia Bellucci [Q] 6-4 6-2
Jack Draper is into the second round in Tokyo after a crushing win over qualifier Mattia Bellucci. The British number one bounced back from the two defeats at the Davis Cup in Manchester to regain the form that saw him reach the semi-finals at the US Open. In order to progress Draper had to overcome an aggressive start from the Italian as Bellucci tested Draper’s baseline game early on.
This was the first official ATP match that Draper played as a top 20 player and the Brit reacted to a tough start by breaking in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead with some sizzling forehands. Although Bellucci produced consistently aggressive tennis, Draper was in clinical form on serve and denied the Italian any opportunity to break. The Brit wrapped up the opening set in 38 minutes as he picked up where he left off in New York.
At the start of the second set, Bellucci produced some consistent backhands but ultimately came to very little reward as Draper produced persistent returning pressure. A clinical returning display saw Draper break on two consecutive occasions to take a 4-1 lead, closing in on an impressive victory.
The 22 year-old only managed to lose three points on serve as Draper sealed victory in the Japanese capital for a place in the second round.
Jack Draper v Hubert Hurkacz [2] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jack Draper v Hubert Hurkacz [2] | H2H: Hurkacz leads 4-1 |
| ATP Tokyo 2024 | Tokyo, Japan |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $26,595 |
| First on Colosseum (03:00 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Draper will take on Hubert Hurkacz for the third time this season with the Pole winning their previous two meetings in 2024 so far.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Jack Draper (WR 20) | Hubert Hurkacz (WR 8) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R1 (2023) | R1 (2019, 2023) |
| 1st Serve % | 57.8 | 62.9 |
| Service Games Won % | 83.8 | 88.8 |
| Break Points Saved % | 60.1 | 70.3 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 51.3 | 47.9 |
| Break Points Converted % | 44 | 36.4 |
Draper will need to be at his efficient best on return as he takes on one of the best servers in the game in the form of Hurkacz.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Hurkacz started his season well but a devastating knee injury meant that the Pole missed the Olympics and has never really been the same since that injury. Now Hurkacz will hope he can have a strong Asian swing as he looks to end the year strong and build some momentum towards next year’s Australian Open.
Draper will need to take the forehand early as he aims to push Hurkacz behind the baseline, continuing his clinical form on return. Meanwhile Hurkacz will look to establish dominance on serve and shorten the points at the net in order to rush Draper’s play. The previous two meetings on clay and given Hurkacz’s lack of confidence, this is the time for Draper to earn some much-needed payback.
Prediction: Draper in three sets.
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