After producing an imposing comeback win over Jan-Lennard Struff at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas will also try to win against Jack Draper, but it won't be easy.
Tsitsipas has been enduring some challenging moments on the ATP Tour. Not only is he dealing with not playing well during an important part of the season, but he's also dealing with the emotional aspect of not having his father as his coach.
For the first time in his career, the Greek player is playing matches without his father as part of his coaching team. That's a new dynamic for him to adjust to, but it worked out well for him in the first match at the Cincinnati Open.
He turned around a match that seemed lost, giving himself a chance to face Draper. The Brit also won his match, but it wasn't clean either. He needed three sets to beat Jaume Munar, which isn't very impressive given Munar's track record on hard courts.
This upcoming meeting is certainly going to be more complicated for the Brit, but he did well the previous time he faced Tsitsipas, so there are reasons to be optimistic for him.
Head-to-head:
The two have only played once so far, and it happened in Montreal in 2022. It was a fantastic event for the Brit, who beat Tsitsipas 7-5, 7-6(4), and it's a good insight into how this match might go.
The courts in Cincinnati play very similar to those in Montreal, even though it's an even faster court than the one in Canada. Both can play well on fast courts, especially Draper, who prefers them more than Tsitsipas.
However, the speed of the court makes the Greek's serve a problem, which benefits his game overall. It's why he made the final in Cincinnati in 2022.
The matchup itself will come down to a few key points. The serve will be crucial for both because Draper can be devastating with his serve, and the same goes for his opponent. Whoever creates lots of pressure with the serve is likelier to win.
The rallies are another part of the matchup to watch because, generally, Draper seems more devastating when the rallies get longer. He's capable of hitting the ball very hard from both sides, which isn't the case for Tsitsipas.
The Greek does have a more stable forehand, which should help him. Overall, it's a close matchup that shouldn't return many breaks.
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | Jack Draper | |
| 0 | H2H | 1 |
| 11 | Rank | 28 |
| 26 | Age | 22 |
| 36-15 | 2024 W/L | 23-16 |
| 336-158 | Career W/L | 63-45 |
Prediction:
The way Draper struggled to break down Munar should be very encouraging for Tsitsipas because if Munar had chances, then he should have some, too. The crucial part for him will be to play his game and not complicate it too much.
Tennis can be fairly simple, and this isn't a matchup that he can't win, but he needs to play his best. Although Draper hasn't looked all that impressive lately, he will always be dangerous on courts like these.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets.
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