Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP London match.
Jack Draper came close to an early elimination in his clash with Alexei Popyrin, but his win in the tie-break proved decisive. Now, the British player has a strong chance to book a place in the semi-finals. With the benefit of home support, familiarity with the surface, and only Brandon Nakashima standing in his way—a player he has already defeated—Jack Draper enters the match as the clear favourite.
Brandon Nakashima
Brandon Nakashima has made a solid start to the grass-court stretch, winning four of his last five matches on the surface. However, those wins came against players ranked outside the top 30. His record against top-10 opponents is far less convincing, with only two victories in 15 matches. Even during his previous appearance in London, he was eliminated in the second round.
Jack Draper
Jack Draper is a familiar figure at home tournaments, although he has yet to go beyond the quarter-finals. This year, however, he has made a confident start in London. He comfortably dispatched Jenson Brooksby, conceding just four games, before edging past Alexei Popyrin in three sets. In that contest, Draper fired 14 aces and won 81% of points on his first serve. Grass has been a productive surface for him—since last year, he has won 10 of his 12 matches on grass, including lifting the title in Stuttgart.
Brandon Nakashima vs Jack Draper Prediction
Brandon Nakashima is in decent form, but Jack Draper appears to be playing at a higher level. The British player has suffered only two defeats on grass in the past year when playing at home. A routine victory is expected, with Jack Draper likely to win by a margin of at least four games.
