A top tennis coach believes Jack Draper’s chances of completing the ‘sunshine double’ are very slim. The British No. 1 lifted the biggest title of his career in Indian Wells over the weekend, and he will be bidding to make it two in a row at the Miami Open.
The newly crowned champion has yet to play his opening match in Miami, but he has already been warned that a near-impossible task lies ahead. Rennae Stubbs has explained why the world No. 7 will struggle to build on last week’s form.
Draper can complete the sunshine double by winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. The Brit is already halfway there after his incredible run to the title in California, where he beat Joao Fonseca, Jenson Brooksby Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.
The 23-year-old can join the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras if he continues his running streak all the way to the end of the Miami Open.
Draper received a bye directly into the second round in Miami and is expected to make his first appearance on Saturday. But he has already been told that it will be very difficult to go back-to-back at the American Masters 1000 events.
Stubbs, who previously coached Serena Williams, believes the change in conditions could be too much for Draper to handle.
“I don’t see Jack Draper going back to back, I think that’s going to be really, really hard for him,” Serena Williams’ former coach said on her podcast.
“Not saying he is not capable but I do think that it is very hard to win the sunshine double. They are completely different feelings on the court. Not only are they different surfaces, this is a little quicker here in Miami.
“The humidity makes that world of difference to how the ball plays as well. And guess what? It’s a new and different ball. Last week, we had Wilson. This week, Dunlop.”
Indian Wells is known for its blustery conditions – something Draper took in his stride over the last two weeks. But the weather has also been causing problems for players in Miami, and Stubbs says it will be tricky to play through the wind.
She added: “We have had the worst wind in Miami the last three days, so that is also a factor.
“Yes, we had wind at Indian Wells as well, so the players are probably are like, ‘this wind’. There’s nothing worse than playing in the wind.”
Despite being seeded sixth, Draper has a tricky draw in Miami. He will play the winner of a match between former world No. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut and rising star Jakub Mensik.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk