Adelaide International: Draper vs Kwon Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Adelaide International 2 as Jack Draper takes on Soonwoo Kwon in the semifinal on Friday, January 13, 2023.

Jack Draper will look to reach his first ATP Tour final at the Adelaide International 2. After two near-misses in the past year, could Draper break his duck? Or will Soonwoo Kwon, the lucky loser, deny him that opportunity for the third time?

Jack Draper did not receive positive news from the Australian Open draw, having drawn the short straw playing Rafael Nadal in the first round. But ahead of that draw ceremony, Draper had booked his spot in the semifinals of the Adelaide International 2, getting his first win in the head-to-head over Karen Khachanov in a tight match. The Sutton native just about deserved it, having a better break point conversion and winning more points behind his second serve to emerge with a 6-4 7-6 win.

Soonwoo Kwon, meanwhile, has exceeded expectations getting to the semifinal of the Adelaide International 2. The South Korean had lost in the final round of qualifying to Tomas Machac, but earned a spot in the main draw as a lucky loser. And boy did he take full advantage. Kwon avenged his loss against Machac in a curious twist of fate in the first round, and then upstaged second seed Pablo Carreno Busta to reach his first quarterfinal since Tokyo last year. But the upsets didn’t stop there, as Kwon thrashed Mikael Ymer in the last eight for the loss of three games. Next up for him will be a test against British Next Gen star Jack Draper.

Jack Draper leads Soonwoo Kwon 1-0 in their head-to-head. Ironically, these two players just met at last week’s Adelaide Internationa 1, with Draper winning 6-3 6-1. Kwon has redeemed himself this week, playing aggressive tennis off the return, and is serving at a much more consistent level. But Draper is playing at a higher ceiling and should be the natural favorite to reach his first ATP final.