By Tony Fairbairn
- Jack Draper def Leandro Riedi [Q] 6-1 6-1
- Draper v Dan Evans [24] | H2H: First Meeting
INDIAN WELLS, USA – Jack Draper thrashed Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi to reach the second round at Indian Wells where he will face compatriot and 24th seed Dan Evans.
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Jack Draper def Leandro Riedi [Q] 6-1 6-1
Jack Draper is into the second round at Indian Wells after a dominant display over Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi. The Brit was playing his first tournament since the Australian Open and had made the perfect start to the match using his power and accuracy, to break in the opening game. However Draper showed early signs of rust with a few unforced errors and Riedi showed good baseline intelligence to seal the break back and level the set at 1-1.
That slight setback didn’t seem to effect Draper’s game especially on return as a run of eight points in a row put him in control as he took a 3-1 lead. Riedi tried to dictate points and produce angles to trouble the Brit but the world number 135’s game was too tame to have any real affect on Draper. The world number 56 would break on two more occasions as he wrapped up the opening set in 29 minutes.
The second set was just as efficient from Draper as he continued his blistering and relentless serving, holding to love in the opening game before sealing the crucial break. There was more stability from Riedi on serve and some interference from the crowd seemed to improve the quality of his game.
Ultimately it was Draper who sealed his place in the second round as he gained the crucial break in the sixth game for a 5-1 lead before serving out the match.
Jack Draper v Dan Evans [24] | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jack Draper v Dan Evans [24] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Indian Wells | Indian Wells, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $30,885 |
| First on Stadium 5 at 11am (7pm GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Draper will now take on Dan Evans in an all-British clash as a place in the third round is at stake.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
| H2H: | Jack Draper (WR 56) | Dan Evans (WR 29) |
| Tournament Previous Best | N/A | R2 (2022) |
| 1st Serve % | 58.4 | 64 |
| Service Games Won % | 81.8 | 76.1 |
| Break Points Saved % | 61 | 58.5 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 52.6 | 47.1 |
| Break Points Converted % | 41.7 | 51.6 |
Draper will need to improve his game on serve as he is taking on the efficient returning of Evans while Evans will need to be aware of Draper’s bold play on pressure points.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
It’s been a poor start to the season for Evans, who has only achieved three wins this season and has struggled for confidence and consistency. After retiring in Dubai, the 24th seed is now looking to gain some much needed form and ranking points and a win against a form player like Draper could kickstart his season.
Evans will look to use the slice and the backhand to neutralise Draper’s powerful game style. While Draper will look to maintain a high level of accuracy on serve and neutralise Evans’ effective returning quality. On form and confidence, Draper should win this comfortably but there is no doubt that a match like this will fire up Evans as he looks to prove a point that the future of British tennis can wait a little while longer.
Prediction: Draper in three sets.
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