Jack Draper reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open, defeating Alex de Minaur in straight sets. The 22-year-old British player made easy work of his Australian opponent, securing a commanding 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Draper is now the first man in four years to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set. He is also the first British male player to reach this stage of the tournament since Andy Murray won the title in 2012.
The match began with Draper making an aggressive start, landing a couple of early breaks against de Minaur, which set the tone for much of the contest. At his sixth set point, Draper clinched the opener 6-3 with a forehand winner.
Maintaining his momentum, Draper took the second set 7-5. The third set was more straightforward, as he opened up a 5-2 lead over the Australian. He dropped only six points on serve before wrapping up the match.
Draper’s performance builds on his first ATP Tour title, which he won this past June in Stuttgart. His confidence was evident on the court as he dominated his opponent.
Reflecting on his victory, Draper said:
“Yeah, it was a solid match from my side. Obviously, first match on Ashe, first quarter-final, was kind of a different experience. I’ve obviously played Alex a few times and know he’s a really tough competitor. You know, I thought it was just a solid match all around. Proud of my performance. There were some ups and downs during the match, but I felt in general I served pretty well, and, you know, I did a good job to come through.”
Draper will face either top seed Jannik Sinner or 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev in Friday’s semifinals. Both are on court now.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
