Three-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist Feliciano Lopez says Jack Draper’s enchancment over the past 18 months is “truly amazing” – calling him a “very complete player”.
Draper has been on the rise since reaching the semi-finals of the US Open, sealing his maiden Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, though he missed out on a primary ATP Tour clay-court title as Casper Ruud edged an absorbing Madrid Open remaining.
The British No 1 laid low at residence within the UK following his disappointing fourth-round defeat to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik on the French Open – earlier than returning to the grass at Queen’s Membership final week the place a bout of tonsillitis put pay to his hopes within the semi-finals towards Jiri Lehecka.
Lopez, event director in Madrid, noticed Draper’s potential at first hand however is worried that world No 1 Jannik Sinner and Roland-Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz are displaying no indicators of slowing down, having now shared the final six Grand Slam titles between them.
Draper is aiming to hitch the main two gamers on the prime of the lads’s recreation, whereas Novak Djokovic remains to be chasing an historic twenty fifth Grand Slam title.
I feel Jack is a really full participant. I feel if he preserve creating his recreation, he’d have a great likelihood towards Carlos and Jannik on grass.
“I still see a bit of a gap between Carlos, Jannik and the rest of the players. Jack and Novak are probably the ones that could beat them and grass is the surface where Jack and Novak will have a bigger chance,” mentioned the Spaniard, who reached a career-high No 12.
“However the way in which they have been enjoying currently, I do not see any indicators of weak point from Carlos or Jannik.
“I think Jack is a very complete player. I think if he keep developing his game, he’d have a good chance against Carlos and Jannik on grass.
“He in all probability must be a bit extra constant week after week. When he is in a position to attain his finest stage I feel he has proved already that he can beat anybody. We noticed a few of that in Indian Wells when he received the title, additionally in Madrid, and truly he is one of many gamers that I like watching.
“The amount of improvement in the last 18 months is truly amazing.
“I keep in mind two years in the past on the US Open, when he was making ready for his first-round match. My concern was whether or not he was going to play as a result of he was getting back from a shoulder damage and had pulled out of the Winston-Salem Open the week earlier than, so I used to be questioning if he was going to have the ability to compete over the best-of-five units.
“Two years after that, he’s number four in the world. It’s truly amazing what he has done and he’s for me the player who’s going to be willing to fight it out with Carlos and Novak for the big titles on grass.”
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Draper opens up on his progress and the way he has gained extra confidence towards prime opponents
Is that this Djokovic’s final likelihood at profitable a twenty fifth Grand Slam?
Will Novak Djokovic be enjoying the violin towards at Wimbledon because the 38-year-old goals to make historical past?
“It’s hard to say whether this is Novak’s last opportunity because with Novak you have to be aware of what you say about him,” laughed left-hander Lopez, who received the French Open doubles title alongside Marc Lopez in 2016.
“He’s not at the levels of Carlos and Jannik, especially in the last 18 months, because the numbers speak for themselves, but the way he played against Sinner surprised me. He challenged Sinner and pushed him to the limit and, although the gap is still big, I see the grass as the only place for him to get to this level that they play because the grass is very different.
“Djokovic proved that he can nonetheless compete at this stage however he could have a greater likelihood on grass.”
Does Sinner have the game to play on grass?
Jannik Sinner’s motion is unreal, based on Feliciano Lopez
Lopez mentioned: “I think so, yes! His movement on the court is out of this world. To play on grass you need good movement and he’s probably one of the best movers on court right now.
“He has the motion, he has the serve, he has the most effective returns I’ve seen, so sure! He has virtually all the things.”
Is it a shock to see Sinner and Alcaraz dominating as a lot as they’re?
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Sinner and Alcaraz talk about their rivalry, their variations and the way they push one another to turn into higher gamers
“No, not at all,” mentioned the four-time Davis Cup winner. “They not only have the tennis skills, technically and physically they are probably the best in the world. But also their mentality and their ability to sustain that level for so long.
“We noticed that within the French Open remaining once they had been enjoying for five-and-a-half hours on the highest potential depth.
“There are players in the game right now who can play one or two sets, but Sinner and Alcaraz have the ability to play at that super-high intensity for so long and I’ve not seen anyone else who can do that.”
Is Draper a contender to win Wimbledon?
Sky Sports activities’ Jonathan Overend thinks Draper has what it takes to win Wimbledon
Sky Sports activities commentator Jonathan Overend agrees with Lopez that Draper is a part of an elite group of gamers who can probably win Wimbledon, however claims he nonetheless has a protracted approach to go to catch Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic.
“Draper is in that group of contenders who can win Wimbledon. The top band only has two players – Sinner and Alcaraz – with the next band containing Djokovic, along with Draper, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti,” mentioned Overend.
“Draper is absolutely a contender to win Wimbledon. He is definitely a contender to make the final.
“Having mentioned that he’ll want a bit of little bit of luck as a result of he must beat Alcaraz and Sinner back-to-back probably. He may beat one among them, however can he beat each? Unlikely! Possibly sooner or later.
“It’s intriguing and it’s possible as I said at the start of the year that Draper could make the Wimbledon final and nothing has happened in the last six months to change my mind.”
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