2025 Australian Open R16 - [15] Jack Alexander Draper (GREAT BRITAIN) v/s [3] Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (SPN)

[Rafa4LifeEver]

H2H is 2-1 Alcaraz
HC H2H is 2-0 Alcaraz
This'll be their first slam match.

Draper did shock the tennis world by taking out the Queens+Wimbledon defending champion Alcaraz at the 2024 Queens open in R16.

Who wins? How many sets?

 

[Rafa4LifeEver]

@The Blond Blur @Lleytonstation

Propaganda or British talent?

 

[The Blond Blur]

@The Blond Blur @Lleytonstation

Propaganda or British talent?

I don’t think Chuck ever worn the dishonorable propaganda label. The Sinner definitely did for a couple of years before he finally broke through.

 

[dking68]

@The Blond Blur @Lleytonstation

Propaganda or British talent?

British talent. He will be the one to win a slam after Sinner and Alcaraz. Not Rune. I predict he will win SW19 this year or next year.

 

[Hitman]

Alcaraz is going to crush Draper.

Imagine playing three five setters and your reward is Alcaraz....LOL

 

[Lleytonstation]

@The Blond Blur @Lleytonstation

Propaganda or British talent?

The shepherd will easily win this one.

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

Hopefully Draper sends the overrated Alcaraz to wherever the latter goes when he loses. If Draper does not defeat The Toothy One, hopefully the upcoming minefield finishes the job.

 

[Larry Duff]

If Draper serves well he will be in most sets but hard to see him advance here.

 

[Rafa4LifeEver]

I don’t think Chuck ever worn the dishonorable propaganda label. The Sinner definitely did for a couple of years before he finally broke through.

Llyetonstation does call him 172cm propaganda shepherd though

 

[helterskelter]

Bookies give Draper almost no chance at all, and the bookies are always upbeat on British players because the British betting market is larger than that of most other countries. That says it all, really. If Draper hadn't gone five sets in all three matches so far, he'd probably have a decent outside shot here, but his mediocre form and the amount of energy he's expended make it rather unlikely that he can do much here. He might have enough to win a set.

At least it's a first slam R3 and now a first slam R4 outside the US Open for Draper. (He's been to R3 or better at the US Open for three straight years and to R4 or better for the last two years. So, he was to date a US Open specialist and now makes himself a hard-court specialist).

 

[Tennfan123]

Carlos to puncture the wheels of the draper bandwagon in 3.

 

[tudwell]

Head says Carlos in 3, but I’m getting a little handwringery about his ability to maintain his crisp form, so I’ll say Carlos in 4 instead.

 

[tx10is]

carlos in 4 there will be at least 1 tiebreaker

 

[ACE of Hearts]

Draper has played a lot of tennis. Alcaraz has to take advantage early.

 

[ACE of Hearts]

Alcaraz is playing like a chump.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Carlos hasn't woken up yet

 

[ACE of Hearts]

Carlos hasn't woken up yet

Alcaraz is getting on my nerves. The guy’s playing a guy who has played a bunch of 5 setters.

 

[tennisjedi]

Carlos manages to hold serve despite some sloppy errors.

 

[tennisjedi]

 

[mental midget]

Bookies give Draper almost no chance at all, and the bookies are always upbeat on British players because the British betting market is larger than that of most other countries. That says it all, really. If Draper hadn't gone five sets in all three matches so far, he'd probably have a decent outside shot here, but his mediocre form and the amount of energy he's expended make it rather unlikely that he can do much here. He might have enough to win a set.

At least it's a first slam R3 and now a first slam R4 outside the US Open for Draper. (He's been to R3 or better at the US Open for three straight years and to R4 or better for the last two years. So, he was to date a US Open specialist and now makes himself a hard-court specialist).

would be really surprised if draper had the gas to push this deep. think uso + wimbledon will be his best major surfaces...his stroke mechanics are better for lower bouncing courts in general. in general though he's making progress, good player.

 

[MichaelNadal]

This one is already over now

 

[ACE of Hearts]

This one is already over now

Idk but if Carlos can get two sets up he has a great chance. Idk how Draper has gotten all this energy.

 

[ACE of Hearts]

Alcaraz still looks shaky.

 

[ACE of Hearts]

Alcaraz’s first serve is still junk. No improvement whatsoever.

 

[tennisjedi]

Carlos gets broken back.

 

[ACE of Hearts]

Lol at Alcaraz. Dude’s serve is still the same. No improvements.

 

[NYTennisfan]

These dips of Alcaraz are really annoying as an Alcaraz fan. He might be able to get away with this against the Drapers of the world but he's done in the quarters if he doesn't focus the entire match.

 

[ACE of Hearts]

5 DFs already by this guy.

 

[mehdimike]

That was a horrible game from Carlos.

 

[djokovic the conqueror]

Djokovic is gonna have a field day breaking Alcaraz's serve.

 

[tx10is]

i think alcarez has ADD lol he gets ahead and loses interest/focus tommy paul going to finish before first set of this match

 

[odonogar]

Thought this was going to be a lot more straightforward for Alcaraz

 

[djokovic the conqueror]

Alcaraz angry that he doesn't get unlimited time to serve like Nadal.

 

[MeatTornado]

Carlos trying his hardest to lose a set he should've won like 6-1 already

 

[NYTennisfan]

Carlos trying his hardest to lose a set he should've won like 6-1 already

Story of his career, he loves making things hard on himself. Sounds weird to say that about a 4-time slam winner at 21 but it feels like he loses matches rather than opponents winning them

 

[ACE of Hearts]

Alcaraz’s play is pathetic. This guy hasn’t improve his serve at all.

 

[NYTennisfan]

And then Alcaraz does THAT to end the set. What an enigma

 

[tennisjedi]

7-5. Vamos!

 

[mehdimike]

It's one of those matches that you opponent playing slow and listless affects your game as well.

 

[Thundergod]

Hope he actually locks in and wins 2, 3 or something the next couple sets. He still has these mental walkabouts too much when he's good enough to just quickly dispatch his opponent.

 

[ACE of Hearts]

Alcaraz had 21 UEs in that first set. That’s a lot.

 

[Tennis_Freak99]

Is Carlos's thigh taped?

 

[Winner Sinner]

Only Alcaraz could extend this first set to the twelfth game against an absolutely tense Draper.

This Alcaraz would go out badly with Djokovic, but I would also say with Lehecka.
Let's see if he now raises the level without giving away points to his opponent between double faults and a disproportionate amount of unforced errors.

 

[Winner Sinner]

Terrible quality of play, basically you only score points on the other's mistakes.

 

[Alcawrath]

It's wild how people can watch a tennis match and see completely different outcomes.

 

[Winner Sinner]

Today the only thing that is working in Alcaraz is the quality of the response.

PS
Here now he has started to make some remarkable plays.

 

[Winner Sinner]

Draper is a dead man walking.

 

[MeatTornado]

Story of his career, he loves making things hard on himself. Sounds weird to say that about a 4-time slam winner at 21 but it feels like he loses matches rather than opponents winning them

That's the nature of the beast for an aggressive player. The match is always on his racket. When the shots land he looks unstoppable. When they don't, it looks like him beating himself.

 

[RSJfan]

 

[Alcawrath]

That's the nature of the beast for an aggressive player. The match is always on his racket. When the shots land he looks unstoppable. When they don't, it looks like him beating himself.

Exactly this. Yet, for the rest of his career people will lament about his lack of discipline and unforced errors. Alcaraz can't play with his foot half on the brake pedal and play, for a lack of a better word, boring. That's not his game or his DNA. Once you accept his mercurial play, you accept that he will miss shots he shouldn't, but he will also make even more magical ones.