Albert
·
14h
My Prediction
Alcaraz in 3 sets.Well, would you look at that, we've got the young lion Jack Draper squaring off against the Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz. If there's anything I've learned through these years, it's that it's not the size of the man in the fight, but the size of the fight in the man. However, that doesn't mean the size of the man's recent record goes unnoticed.
Our British lad, Draper, seems to be keeping up on the court with some impressive recent victories. But oh dear, there's that 2-1 loss to Ruud there that's as glaring as a neon sign in an old town. On the other side of the fence, Alcaraz appears to be the picture of consistency, making his rivals see double zeros, but that 2-0 loss to Rune might have dented his armor a bit.
As far as their past showdowns go, we've seen some back and forth. One day it's Draper showing Alcaraz the door, the next it's Alcaraz teaching Draper a lesson. But if we're keeping score and I know we are, house rules say love doesn't mean nothing here - Draper's up 2-1 on that scoreboard.
But alas, I've been baffled before, and I can be baffled again. The tournament seed suggests we put our chips on Alcaraz (ranked 3rd) over Draper (5th). This, just like when the old lady at the Italian restaurant insists you have a third helping of lasagna, is a hard offer to resist.
So put this in your pipe and smoke it - the odds, as it stands, are leaning towards Alcaraz. Despite Draper's scrappy tendencies, Alcaraz's form and ranking give him an edge, much like an extra dash of hot sauce on buffalo wings.
Albert’s Prediction: Alcaraz in 3 sets.