By Tony Fairbairn
- Jack Draper [7] def Kei Nishikori [WC] 7-6(5) 7-5
- Draper v Luciano Darderi | H2H: First Meeting
VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Jack Draper overcame rust and Kei Nishikori to reach the second round in Vienna and will now face Luciano Darderi.
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Jack Draper [7] def Kei Nishikori [WC] 7-6(5) 7-5
Jack Draper is into the second round of Vienna after a tight straight sets win over a rejuvenated Kei Nishikori. It was far from an easy match for Draper as his lack of tennis in recent weeks due to injury was telling. The British number one struggled through his first two service games while also being ineffective on return.
A confident Nishikori had a much more comfortable start but had to overcome a tight service game in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. The early persistent pressure from the world number 141 paid off in the eighth game as Draper double faulted and Nishikori would serve for the opening set at 5-3.
The Brit bounced back well and played his way into the opening set with a Nishikori unforced error seeing Draper break back at 5-4. In the end Draper found his serving confidence in order to force an opening set tiebreak. There was some clean tennis from Nishikori as the Japanese star went a mini-break up on two occasions. In the end Draper produced his best tennis when it mattered most and won four of the last five points to take the opening set.
The second set was a much tighter affair but it was Draper who has the momentum on return as he had an early break point. There was some good serving from Nishikori but Draper had neutralized Nishikori’s returning with the former US Open finalist creating no break points in the set.
Eventually Draper’s persistent power from the baseline would pay off as he broke in the twelfth game, converting his second match point to secure a place in the second round in Vienna.
Jack Draper [7] v Luciano Darderi H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jack Draper [7] v Luciano Darderi | H2H: First Meeting |
| ATP Vienna 2024 | Vienna, Austria |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: €36,130 |
| First on Center Court (12:30 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Draper will now take on Luciano Darderi after the Italian ended the career of Dominic Thiem in the opening round.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Jack Draper (WR 18) | Luciano Darderi (WR 42) |
| Tournament Previous Best | N/A | N/A |
| 1st Serve % | 58 | 58.1 |
| Service Games Won % | 84 | 77.7 |
| Break Points Saved % | 60.6 | 61.5 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 51 | 50.9 |
| Break Points Converted % | 44 | 39.5 |
Draper has been extremely efficient on serve and return but will be aware of Darderi’s consistency heading into this match.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Darderi thought he had improved his form in the summer after winning a Challenger in his home country. However the Italian has been in poor form since then with Darderi entering Vienna on a seven match losing streak dating back to Cincinnati. Now Darderi will hope his opening round win will give him something to work with heading into the new year.
Draper will be hoping to be more consistent and solid from the baseline while not sacrificing his aggressive play. Meanwhile Darderi will aim to be consistent on serve as he will wait for the unforced errors to arrive from Draper’s record. This will be a good test for Draper but one he should pass successfully if he is on form.
Prediction: Draper in straight sets.
Frances Tiafoe [5] def Cameron Norrie 6-4 7-6(4)
Cameron Norrie’s poor season continued with a straight sets defeat to Frances Tiafoe as the Brit appeared to suffer a new injury during the match. In the fiercely contested match Tiafoe broke in the ninth game and held to take the opening set 6-4. Although the American appeared to have landed himself in hot water after complaining about a time violation.
After going 2-1 down in the second set Norrie had a medical time-out on an arm injury but that didn’t stop him from gaining the break back and levelling the set at 3-3. However that resilience wasn’t enough as Tiafoe won the big points to secure a straight sets win and move into the second round.
Norrie will play his final tournament of the season next week as he is in the qualifying for the final Masters 1000 of the year in Paris.
How to Watch/Follow ATP Vienna 2024
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