European Open 2022: Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper – Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

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2 years ago

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 25: Hubert Hurkacz of Poland hits a return during the semi-final match against Andrey Rublev of Russia during day 12 of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on February 25, 2022 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Gray/Getty Images)

The world No. 11 Hubert Hurkacz begins his European Open campaign in the round of 16 against the world No. 48, Jack Draper, on Wednesday.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 05: Hubert Hurkacz of Poland serves in his group D match against Diego Schwartzman of Argentina during the day five 2022 ATP Cup tie between Poland and Argentina at Qudos Bank Arena on January 05, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Hubert Hurkacz

The 25-year-old has been in good form of late. He made it to the semi-finals in Metz and the quarter-finals in Astana prior to the European Open.

Earlier in the year, he made it to the semi-finals in the Dubai Tennis Championships. In April, he reached the semi-finals of the Miami Open. The Polish sensation struck gold at the Halle Open as he won the title after defeating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the final. Hurkacz came close to winning his second title this year as he made it to the finals in Montreal. However, Pablo Carreno Busta got the better of him in three sets. The top seed is certainly one of the strong contenders to go the distance in Antwerp.

Jack Draper

The 20-year-old has won four Challenger events this year. On the ATP tour, he has produced some decent performances every now and then. He impressed the tennis world with a run to the semi-finals in Eastbourne. Draper reached back-to-back quarter-finals in the Canadian Open and the Winston-Salem Open.

Jack Draper of Great Britain in action during the men’s doubles first-round during the 2019 Wimbledon Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 03, 2019 in London, England. (Getty Images)

The talented youngster played in the US Open prior to this tournament. He made it to the third round in Flushing Meadows. During the third set of the match against Karen Khachanov, Draper retired after suffering a hamstring injury. The Brit won his match against Jenson Brooksby in the first round of the European Open comprehensively in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.