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Match Details
Fixture: Jack Draper vs (PR) Kei Nishikori
Date: July 27, 2024
Tournament: Paris Olympics 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
Category: Olympics
Surface: Clay
Live Telecast: USA - NBC, Peacock | UK - Eurosport, Discovery+, BBC iPlayer | Canada - CBC Gem, Radio Canada, Tou.tv | India - JioCinema, Sports18
Jack Draper vs Kei Nishikori preview
Great Britain's Jack Draper will take on Japan's Kei Nishikori in the first round of the Paris Olympics 2024.
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Draper started the season with a runner-up finish at the Adelaide International but was bundled out of the Australian Open in the second round. An injury forced him to retire in the semifinals of the Mexican Open, and he didn't make it past the second round of the Masters events at Indian Wells and Miami.
Draper began his time on clay with a first-round exit from the Monte-Carlo Masters, and then a quarterfinal appearance in Munich. However, he managed to win only two more matches on the surface after that and lost in the first round of the French Open as well.
The Brit found his footing on grass and captured his maiden career title at the Boss Open in Stuttgart over Matteo Berrettini in the final. He then ousted Carlos Alcaraz en route to the quarterfinals at Queen's Club. While he performed well in the lead-up to Wimbledon, he couldn't sustain the momentum and lost to Cameron Norrie in the second round of his home Slam.
Injuries have derailed Nishikori's career, and he hasn't been able to stay healthy for long periods during his comeback as well. He returned to the tour at the Miami Open in March and bowed out in the first round.
Nishikori then directly competed at the French Open, where he retired in the middle of his second-round contest. He lost a closely fought five-set match against Arthur Rinderknech in the first round of Wimbledon.
Jack Draper vs Kei Nishikori head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Jack Draper vs Kei Nishikori odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jack Draper vs Kei Nishikori prediction
While this will be Draper's Olympic debut, Nishikori will participate in the Games for the fifth time. He lost in the first round in Beijing, made the quarterfinals in London, won the bronze medal in Rio, and reached the last eight in Tokyo.
Despite his good track record at the Olympics, it will all come down to how Nishikori's body holds up. If he's fully fit, then he does have a shot against Draper. The Brit is on a three-match losing streak on clay and is yet to win a match at the French Open, which is also the venue for tennis at the Paris Olympics.
Clay has never been Draper's strongest surface, with an 8-10 career record on it. Nevertheless, he will be favored to win this match due to Nishikori's frequent health concerns.
Pick: Jack Draper to win in three sets.
