Tuesday, June 17

Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Queen's Club Championships second-round match between Alexei Popyrin and Jack Draper, including predictions, head-to-head and their tournament so far.

Alexei Popyrin’s reward for outlasting compatriot Aleksandar Vukic in the opening round of the Queen’s Club Championships is a second-round match against home favourite Jack Draper on Wednesday.

After facing early challenges acclimatising to the grass, Draper overwhelmed Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 6-1 to progress in London, where he meets his Australian opponent for the second time on the ATP Tour after their earlier encounter in Doha this year.

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Match preview

Popyrin recovered commendably after losing a close second-set tiebreak to advance in West Kensington, sealing a three-set triumph over Vukic.

A positive start saw the one-time Masters 1000 champion and two-time titlist clinch the opening set 6-2; however, a tight contest in the second set was won by the qualifier. Nevertheless, the higher-ranked Aussie won the final-set tiebreak to secure a 6-2, 6-7(9), 7-6(3) victory.

After losing to Zizou Bergs in a marathon three-hour match in s'Hertogenbosch last week, the world No. 21 will have been pleased to find himself on the right side of Tuesday's outcome after two hours and 31 minutes, thus ending his losing streak at Queen's Club.

Last year, he suffered a loss to Andy Murray, which extended the Aussie player's winless streak to four; however, he now faces the British No. 1 on Wednesday, aiming to secure back-to-back victories on the surface for only the second time in his career.

This statistic highlights the fact that the 25-year-old is 7-15 in career grass-court matches, underscoring his underdog status ahead of facing the second seed at Queen's.

Draper was the clear favourite to eliminate Brooksby on Tuesday, and the world No. 6 dispatched the American player with a 6-3, 6-1 win in one hour and 17 minutes.

Having faced apparent rustiness and acclimatisation issues on the grass, the 23-year-old's class ultimately shone through once he adapted to the surface, breaking the Houston champion four times while conceding no chances on his deliveries.

Fresh from improving his record to 26-7 for the season and 16-7 on grass, Draper aims to avoid an upset against his Australian opponent, whose results on the surface have been disappointing over the years.

Nevertheless, the Briton, whose ambition was evident in his on-court interview, will head into his second-round contest seeking another strong performance to put pre-tournament niggles behind him.

While a potential all-British quarter-final with Daniel Evans is plausible, the left-hander will not look that far ahead, as doing so could leave the No. 2 seed vulnerable against a player two years his senior.

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Tournament so far

Alexei Popyrin:

First round: vs. Aleksandar Vukic 6-2 6-7[9] 7-6[3]

Jack Draper:

First round: vs. Jenson Brooksby 6-3 6-1

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Head To Head

Doha (2025) - Round of 32: Draper 6-2 7-6(4)

Draper was the victor when the two players faced each other in Doha earlier this season, clinching a win in straight sets in one hour and 24 minutes.

The Briton was impressive on serve during that matchup, saving the only break point Popyrin created and breaking the Australian's serve twice from four chances.

Indeed, the second seed's prospects are high if he serves as impressively and executes as accurately when they meet in London.

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We say: Draper to win in three sets

While some observers may consider backing Draper to win in straight sets to be the safer option, this encounter coming so early in the Brit’s grass-court run means that Popyrin could snag a set on Wednesday.

Nonetheless, the second seed should outlast the marathon man on home soil and advance to the last eight at the Aussie’s expense. ID:575721:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5527:

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