The remaining quarterfinal spots in Eastbourne will be decided on Wednesday, with Jack Draper among those in action. Draper is going up against fellow Brit Jack Pinnington Jones, while Tomas Martin Etcheverry faces Gabriel Diallo.
Jack Draper vs. (WC) Jack Pinnington Jones
Draper is playing an event for the first time in more than two months, making his comeback at the Eastbourne Open following his latest bout with a knee injury. The oft-injured world No. 160 had not played since Barcelona in mid-April until he defeated lucky loser Marcos Giron 6-4, 7-6(5) on Monday. Draper had been scheduled to meet Brandon Nakashima, but the American withdrew after reaching the Queen’s Club semifinals.
The left-hander’s favorable draw continues in the form of Pinnington Jones, a wild-card entry who also has a wild card for Wimbledon. Pinnington Jones is just 4-5 lifetime on the main tour after beating clay-courter Marco Trungelliti 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 in the opening round. That is a nice result for the former college standout at TCU, but Draper — even if he isn’t at his best right now — represents a massive step up in grass-court competition.
Pick: Draper in 2
Gabriel Diallo vs. (4) Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Etcheverry and Diallo will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Wednesday. Their only previous meeting came last year at the Miami Masters, where Diallo cruised 6-3, 6-0. A grass-court contest should be similarly favorable for the 91st-ranked Canadian, who won the ‘s-Hertogenbosch title last summer. Diallo has been in dreadful form this season, but he at least managed to dismiss Terence Atmane 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-5 on Monday.
Etcheverry is in similarly poor form, with a 1-5 record in his last six matches. Unlike his opponent, the 32nd-ranked Argentine does not have momentum from a first-round victory — as he earned a bye as Eastbourne’s No. 4 seed. Etcheverry is a horrendous 5-13 all time on grass, so he really can’t be considered the favorite in this matchup regardless of what the rankings say.
Pick: Diallo in 3