- Smith says the British number one cannot rely on his defensive skills, fitness and determination alone.
- Draper has played 12 and a half hours in Australia, compared to six for Alcaraz
Davis Cup captain Leon Smith says the only way Jack Draper can beat Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday is by fighting fire with fire.
The British No. 1 has relied heavily on his defensive skills, fitness and determination to survive three consecutive five-set matches at this Australian Open. But Smith, who sits with Draper coach James Trottman in their courtside 'huddle', insists that won't be enough against third place.
“He's so talented that he can make adaptations to his game and he'll have to do that in the next game,” Smith said. “He will have to chase the ball, be very, very positive, be very brave in the points, because you are not going to surpass Carlos that much.”
The impetus to keep the point short is compounded by the fact that Draper already has 12 and a half hours of tennis under his belt, compared to Alcaraz's six.
Draper was not helped by the schedulers, who placed the match on the Rod Laver Arena no earlier than 3.30pm (4.30am UK time). He would have preferred a night game to give himself more time to recover and avoid the heat of the day, which will reach a maximum of 34°C in the afternoon.
One advantage Draper will have is that he knows what it's like to beat the Spaniard, having knocked him down at Queen's Club last year. His only other completed match was a close three-setter in Switzerland in 2022.
Leon Smith says the only way Jack Draper can beat Carlos Alcaraz is by fighting fire with fire
Draper has relied heavily on his defensive skills, fitness and determination in Australia so far.
The British No 1 faces Alcaraz (pictured) at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday (4:30am UK time)
“I was actually with Jack when he first played Carlos in Basel,” Smith said. 'It was 7-5 in the third. Jack is different now, but you have to learn from those matches, what worked well and what didn't work so well.
'The focus will mainly be on Jack executing the plus one serve (the first shot after the serve). He has to take care of his service games, be brave on some of Carlos's second serves and be very, very offensive.
“There are times when you will have to suffer and defend, which is something Jack is prepared to do, but it is on the other side that he will have to do extremely well.”
Smith has been impressed with Draper's work so far this week, more physically and mentally than technically.
“He's done incredibly well considering how his pre-season went (restricted by a hip injury). He'll know he can do things better, but he's doing things that people would have questioned before – it's a different kind of achievement.
'It will help you later in the other Slams to know: “Those concerns about my physical resistance? Don't worry about that. Now I'm going to add layers to my game.'
Trying to describe his admiration for the way Draper twice came from behind to defy Australian free-kick opponents and a partisan crowd, Smith draws a comparison with his old friend Andy Murray.
“His competitiveness is… it's like sitting back and watching some of those Andy games, which we saw this week,” Smith said. 'It's reminiscent of that, the ebbs and flows and drama that comes with it. When things get bad, he comes out with something ridiculous. His heart is huge.