Wimbledon is just 10 days away now, and the grass court season is heating up. Thursday’s action at the Queen’s Club in London sees Jack Draper and Carlos Alcaraz square off in the quarter-finals of the cinch Championships.
With both men on winning streaks, who will prevail in this clash of the young guns? Read on for our Draper vs Alcaraz prediction and betting tips as we break down everything there is to know about this match up.
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Player Form: One Winning Streak Must End
Draper comes to Queen’s off the back of winning his first career title last week in Stuttgart. The 22-year-old prevailed in three sets over Matteo Berrettini to claim the Boss Open, and has looked brilliant on grass so far this season. Prior to the grass, however, Draper had a forgettable clay season.
To begin his cinch Championship campaign, Draper defeated Mariano Navone in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
For Alcaraz, this is his first week of action since winning his third Grand Slam at Roland-Garros earlier this month. That was the Spaniard’s second title of the year, having won Indian Wells in March as well. He’s back up to No. 2 in the world, and looking as good as ever.
Alcaraz got his title defence off to a solid start in the first round, defeating Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5.
How the Bookies View It: Alcaraz the Strong Favourite
Despite Draper’s form coming into this match, bookmaker Betfred has Alcaraz as a heavy favourite to win this clash. The Spaniard is at 3/10, ahead of Draper’s 5/2 to win. He’s given a -4.5 handicap at 6/4, and is expected to win in straight sets for a return of 4/5.
Recent Head-to-Head: Alcaraz Leads, But There’s An Asterisk
Alcaraz and Draper have met twice before on the ATP Tour, with Alcaraz claiming both encounters.
However, there’s an asterisk against both wins. The first was almost two years ago, when both players were very fresh on Tour. In the most recent, Draper withdrew injured after just 10 games.
Anything Else Catch the Eye?
Draper’s serve has been impeccable on grass the past 10 days. In Stuttgart, he served an incredible 31 aces in one match. Earlier this week against Navone, he wasn’t quite so breathtaking, but still recorded six aces at 72% with an 88% win rate.
For Alcaraz, there may be an undertone of pressure coming into this grass season. He’s still very new to the surface, yet went unbeaten on the lawn last year, claiming both Queen’s and Wimbledon. Not only does he have a lot of points to defend the next month, but he also has a lot more eyes on him than he did in 2023.
Draper vs Alcaraz Betting Tips & Predictions
We expect this to be a fantastic battle. Naturally, Alcaraz has the edge, and should come away victorious. However, we say Draper’s serve gives him a good chance of staying in touch with the world No. 2, and could well bag him a set along the way.
- Draper +3.5 handicap @ 17/20
- Draper to win a set @ 4/5
Draper and Alcaraz take to Centre Court second on Thursday afternoon, approximately 2pm local time.
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