Carlos Alcaraz, the defending Queen’s champion and top seed, experienced a setback in his title defense buildup when he lost to Jack Draper in the second round of Queen’s Club. This loss came as a blow to Alcaraz, who was looking to prepare for his Wimbledon title defense. Last year, the Spaniard only had Queen’s Club as his grass-court preparation ahead of winning Wimbledon for the first time. However, this time around, with only two grass matches under his belt following his French Open victory, Alcaraz seems to be at a disadvantage as Wimbledon looms just 11 days away.
For Jack Draper, the British No. 1, the win against Alcaraz was a significant milestone in his career. Draper, who displayed remarkable composure in front of his home crowd, managed to end Alcaraz’s eight-match winning streak while extending his own to seven. The victory over Alcaraz was particularly notable as Draper did not drop serve throughout the match. In the first set tiebreaker, Draper took control early, establishing a 4-0 and then a 6-1 lead, ultimately clinching the set as Alcaraz netted a return.
The turning point in the second set came in the sixth game when Draper managed to break Alcaraz’s serve with a well-placed backhand return down the line. Although Draper faced some pressure serving for the match, he held his nerve and closed out the victory without dropping a set. This victory sets up Draper for a quarterfinal clash with fifth-seeded Tommy Paul, who secured his spot with a straight-sets win over Alejandro Tabilo.
In other matches on Thursday, Lorenzo Musetti overcame Brandon Nakashima in a closely contested match, setting up a quarterfinal meeting with British wild card Billy Harris. The outcomes of these matches further add to the intrigue and competitiveness of the tournament as it progresses towards the latter stages. For Alcaraz, the early exit at Queen’s Club serves as a wake-up call and a reminder of the challenges he will face in his Wimbledon title defense.
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