2024 ATP Tour
ATP 250 Series
BOSS Open
Tennis Club Weissenhof
Selected QFs matches – 14 June
Frances Tiafoe 29/20 | Jack Draper 52/100
This has the makings of a pre-Wimbledon classic. This has been a somewhat disappointing campaign for powerhouse American Frances Tiafoe.
He started to really threaten in major events in recent seasons, reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in 2022 before an Indian Wells semi-final run last season. Those results helped propel him into the top ten in the world for a brief period last year.
And he ended the season in style by reaching the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows. But he has fluffed his lines in the bigger events this season (though he did reach a clay-court final back in Houston).
Tiafoe will be hoping that the switch to grass will change his fortunes. Blessed with a big serve and unorthodox forehand, Tiafoe has the type of game that can prosper on grass. And he proved it in this very event last season, winning his maiden grass-court title with victory over Jan-Lennard Struff in the final.
He wasn’t overly convincing in his opener, edging past Yannick Hanfmann in a tight straight-sets win. But Tiafoe is a confidence player whose form can ignite in an instant.
Long touted as the next big thing in British tennis, Jack Draper has had to contend with a litany of injury issues in his young career. But he has just surpassed Cameron Norrie in the live rankings to become British No.1 for the first time.
Sure, that probably has more to do with Norrie’s downfall than Draper’s form. But it’s nonetheless a nice little boost for Draper in his Wimbledon preparations.
And he has looked solid in Stuttgart this week, seeing off Ofner in his opener before a seesaw three-set win over Marcos Giron (exacting some British vengeance after Giron ended Andy Murray’s Stuttgart hopes).
He hit a staggering 37 winners against Giron and was particularly ruthless on that backhand wing. He also won a mind-boggling 84 % of his first-serve points. With Murray approaching the end of his career and Norrie struggling this season, Draper will be carrying British hopes this summer.
The Verdict: Draper to win in three 11/4
Tiafoe won their only previous meeting, taking down the Brit in straight sets at the 2022 Paris Masters. This should be a pulsating match, pitting Tiafoe’s crunching forehand against Draper’s versatile backhand.
I think Draper may edge this one in three. He will obviously enjoy huge crowd support and that could give him a slight edge over three sets.
I just think his first-serve numbers against Giron were excellent and that awkward, booming lefty delivery will be hard to contain on these surfaces. Still, Tiafoe is a seasoned campaigner and this could go the distance.