Some players are still dusting the red dirt off their shoes, while others are already well accustomed to the European grass. Jack Draper and Marcos Giron are the latter, as they meet in the second round of the BOSS Open in Stuttgart.
Can Draper gain revenge over Giron for his defeat of British legend Andy Murray in the first round? Read on for our Draper vs Giron prediction and betting tips.
Draper comes to Stuttgart with high hopes for his grass season. The surface is arguably his best, and he impressed in his first outing on Monday, defeating the big-hitting Sebastian Ofner 7-6(4), 7-6(5). He’ll be eager to get a bit of momentum ahead of Wimbledon, after losing three in a row across Rome, Geneva and Paris to end the European clay court swing.
For Giron, the American had a similarly disappointing clay court swing. He gained just the one win across the six events he played on the surface in Europe, defeating Emil Ruusuvuori in three sets in Rome. In fact, before defeating Andy Murray this week, Giron was 1-7 across his last eight matches.
With both Draper and Giron desperate for some momentum, who’s going to grab the bull by the horns here in Stuttgart?
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How the Bookies View It: Draper Looking Good
Bookmaker bet365 puts this matchup heavily in Draper’s favour. The Brit pays 4/11 to defeat Giron, with his opponent sitting at 11/5 to win. Giron gets a +3.5 game handicap at 4/6, while set betting says this ends in two for Draper at 1/1.
Recent Head-to-Head: Advantage Draper
Draper and Giron have met once before on the ATP Tour–earlier this year, at the Australian Open. It was a match to remember, with Draper winning in five sets. Notably, he swept the last two sets 6-0, 6-2.
Anything Else Catch the Eye?
Draper has plenty of ground to gain over the next month. The Brit missed the grass court swing last year due to injury, so has no points to defend. While statistically hard courts are his best surface (59.4 percent win rate on hard, compared to 57.1 percent on grass), anyone who has seen him move on grass will argue that he’s a natural on the lawn.
With the prospect of playing in front of home crowds at Queens and Wimbledon soon, Draper will be eager to have some momentum. He’s a good shot at doing so as well, with the 22-year-old having previously made an ATP 250 semi-final on grass.
While Draper has a winning record on grass, 30-year-old Giron does not. The American has played 56 matches on the surface across his career, winning 25 of these. He has, however, previously made the quarter-finals in Halle and Mallorca.
Draper vs Giron Betting Tips & Predictions
Draper has been very hit and miss over recent years, but we’re confident in what we saw from the Brit earlier this week. Back him to get the job done against Giron, and book a spot in the quarter-finals.
- Draper to win @ 4/11
- Draper -3.5 handicap @ 11/10
Draper and Giron take to the court last on Wednesday in Stuttgart, not before 4:30pm local time.
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