Draper favourite to win Queen’s after Alcaraz upset

Britain’s Jack Draper bagged the biggest win of his career on Thursday night, defeating world No.2 Carlos Alcaraz at the Queen’s Club Championships in the round of 16.

Both men came into the match on winning streaks. Draper had claimed his first ATP title in Stuttgart last week, while Alcaraz was playing for the first time since winning the French Open.

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In front of a raucous home crowd, it was a coming-of-age moment for Draper as he dispatched Alcaraz 7-6 (3), 6-3.

“It was a really tough match,” the Brit said on-court after his victory.

“I knew coming out here Carlos is defending champion here, obviously won Wimbledon last year.

“He is an incredible talent and so amazing for the sport. So I had to come out and play really well and luckily I did today, so thank you.”

The win rockets Draper up the outright betting market at tennis bookmakers.

Having been a heavy underdog in the tournament just 24 hours ago, he now sits as a +225 favourite to lift the trophy in London.

Draper finally starting to realise his potential

Blessed with speed, power and a booming serve, Draper has been rated highly for years; however, a plethora of injuries have halted the 22-year-old’s progress.

Now, having risen to be the British No.1 following his Stuttgart title, Draper looks poised to make his mark on tour.

He is on a seven-match winning streak and will head to Wimbledon as an outside chance of claiming the title.

Playing in front of a home crowd in London, Draper’s ability to ride local support gives him a big advantage at Wimbledon.

He said it himself on-court after defeating Alcaraz:

“There’s no place I’d rather be right now with my family, my friends. The British support — you guys are amazing, and I want to keep on playing here.”

Draper is paying +2500 to win the year’s third Grand Slam, which puts the world No.31 ahead of names like Alex de Minaur (+3000), Stefanos Tsitsipas (+3300) and Holger Rune (+4000).

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