Lorenzo Musetti and Jack Draper will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the first time on the main tour when they clash in round two of the Sofia Open on Wednesday.
Their first meeting also came on an indoor hard court, although it was in a much different setting at the 2022 NextGen ATP Finals. In that best-of-five, short-set format, Draper scored a 4-1, 4-0, 4-3 victory.
Draper can be expected to have the upper hand once again despite his lower ranking, mainly because of the surface. The left-handed Brit’s powerful game works extremely well on fast surfaces such as grass, indoor hard courts, and outdoor hard courts during the American summer. Injuries are really the only thing that have kept Draper back (currently No. 82 in the world), as he has all the makings of a top-10 talent when healthy.
The 21-year-old may also hold an advantage on Wednesday in that he defeated Maximilian Marterer 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round, whereas Musetti got a bye as the No. 1 seed in Sofia and does not yet have a match under his belt this week. Musetti has won 32 matches at the ATP level in 2023, but he is just 3-8 in his last 11 matches dating back to the Cincinnati Masters.
This may be an unseeded player going up against the top seed, but Draper should really be considered the favorite.
Pick: Draper in 2
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Well done Jack. Do hope he can stay injury free, he’s a big talent.