ATP Queen’s Club: Our favourites for the tournament
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
Carlos Alcaraz: The clear front runner in London
Carlos Alcaraz will step onto the grass in London for the first time this year off the back of a stunning French Open campaign in which he produced one of the greatest comebacks in Grand Slam history and you can check out our Carlos Alcaraz vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction here.
The Spandiard rallied from two sets down, saving three championship points to beat world number one Jannik Sinner in what can only be described as a match for the ages on the clay in Paris, while also confirming our tennis prediction for the tournament.
The 22-year-old is the clear front runner at the ATP Queen’s Club Championship this year, given that Sinner has opted to head to Halle for his Wimbledon preparation along with the likes of Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Joao Fonseca.
With just one loss in his last 23 matches and a grass record of 24-3 in his career, the world number two is the betting favourite ahead of the competition. He will face his compatriot in his opening match in London on Tuesday.
Jack Draper looking to become first Queen’s Club champ since 2016
Britain’s number one, Jack Draper, enters the Queen’s Club Championship in sixth place according to the ATP live rankings and seemingly playing close to his best as he prepares to try and become the first British champion since Andy Murray almost a decade ago.
The hometown hero came up against Alcaraz in the round of sixteen last year in this competition, and despite entering the match as a significant underdog, he rose to the occasion, beating the Spaniard in straight sets, immediately off the back of victory in Stuttgart, where he beat Matteo Berrettini.
Carrying the number two seed into the tournament, the Brit will steer clear of Alcaraz until the final, provided they both reach that stage. Draper will face American Jenson Brooksby in his opening match, while Taylor Fritz and fifth seed Alex de Minaur also feature in this half of the draw.
Check out our Jack Draper vs Jenson Brooksby prediction ahead of the opening round.
Can Taylor Fritz rise to the challenge again?
Taylor Fritz endured a disappointing clay-court swing, suffering defeat in four of his seven matches, which saw him drop to seventh in the world rankings ahead of the London spectacle.
However, the American enters this competition riding a wave of confidence, having made the perfect start to the grass-court season, winning the Stuttgart Open, beating Alexander Zverev 6-3 7-6 in the grand final.
The 27-year-old's service was not broken a single time in Germany, nor did he face a break point in the final against Zverev. With that victory, Fritz notched up his fourth grass-court title and the ninth of his career. He is currently showing up at a healthy 9/1 to win the ATP Queen’s Club Championship.
