The grass season is underway, and it started at the 2024 Stuttgart Open with a match between Jack Draper and Sebastian Ofner, which the Brit won in two sets.
Like in years past, there is a really strong draw at the ATP 250 tournament in Stuttgart, which is a fascinating event that features arguably the quickest grass court on Tour.
Not only is it a quick one, but it's also low-bouncing, making matches go by quickly, as rallies are very snappy. The opening set between Ofner and Draper went exactly how the court offers.
Both players served relatively well and had no issues winning points behind their first serve. The Austrian struggled a little towards the end, which was shown in the tie-break when Draper outplayed his opponent to win the opening set 7-4 in the tie-break.
Ofner served amazingly in the first few games of the match, but he couldn't quite find the same level in the tie-break, which allowed the Brit to win it. The second set opened with an early break point for the Brit.
He's a natural on grass, having grown up in the United Kingdom, with many grass courts to practice on. He did a really good job of balancing his serve with the rallies, as he didn't really rely too much on his serve to win points, unlike Ofner.
The Austrian heavily depended on his serve in most rallies, but as the first set showed, it wasn't a feasible tactic. He had a really good run for a while in the second set, breaking the Brit and holding the lead for a while.
Still, when it was time for him to serve out the set, Ofner failed, giving Draper a lifeline, which he used to secure another tie-break. In the tie-break, Draper once again outplayed his opponent, largely thanks to better play when it mattered the most, winning the match 7-6(4), 7-6(5) to reach the second round of the 2024 Stuttgart Open.
It was a good win for Draper, who endured some tough moments in his fairly young career. His three-match losing streak is now over, and he will be looking to build on this win in the second round, even though his opponent may be two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray.
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