Jack Draper beat Tommy Paul 6-1 6-4 in 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach the semifinal at the Adelaide International.
Draper converted four of his seven break points. The British player earned a break point in the first game of the opening set and converted it after a forehand mistake from Paul. Draper held with a service winner to open up a 2-0 lead. Paul faced two break points after another forehand error. Draper broke for the second time to race out to a 3-0 lead after Draper made a double fault. Draper fired an ace in the fourth game to build a 4-0 lead after 16 minutes. Paul held serve at 30 to win his first game before Draper fired a forehand in the sixth game for 5-1. Paul faced two set points, as he netted a backhand, as he was serving to stay in the set in the seventh game. Draper converted his first break point with a forehand down the line winner to seal the first set 6-1 in 28 minutes.
Paul forced Draper’s mistake to earn a break point, and the British player saved it with a service winner. Draper earned two break points, as Paul netted a backhand in the sixth game. Paul saved them with a volley and a service winner and held serve to draw level to 3-3. Paul served to stay in the match at 4-5 and made a forehand error at 30-30 to face a match point.
Draper hit a forehand down the line winner to convert his match point securing his spot in the semifinal.
“I am really impressed with the way I came out today. I knew it was going to be difficult. I played a really long match yesterday, so I am really proud of the work I am doing, showing my physicality on court. Each time I play, I am proving myself to be a better player than I thought I was”, said Draper.
Draper set up a semifinal clash against Alexander Bublik, who battled past Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 after 2 hours and 38 minutes.
Musetti converted his third break point at 1-1. Bublik broke twice in the fourth and eighth games to win the first set 6-3. Musetti converted his third break point in the fourth game to open up a 4-1 lead. Bublik broke back in the seventh game after a double fault from Musetti.
Musetti opened up a 5-1 lead in the tie-break. Bublik pulled one of the mini-breaks back for 3-5, but Musetti earned another mini-break to win the tie-break 7-4.
Musetti opened up a 5-3 lead in the decisive set. Bublik saved a match point on his serve in the ninth game before breaking back at 15 to draw level to 5-5. Musetti squandered a game point in the 12th game and Bublik converted his second match point after a forehand error from Musetti.
Bublik entertained the crown, when he followed an underarm serve with a spectacular tweener from the baseline.
Sebastian Korda beat Christopher O’Connell 6-4 6-4 in 1 hour and 29 minutes. Korda saved all three break points. Korda earned a break in the third game and held serve at 5-4 to close out the first set 6-4. The US player went up a break in the seventh game of the second set, but he missed a match point on return at 5-3. He missed three more match points on serve in the 10th game and faced two break points. He saved them and converted his fifth match point after a backhand error from O’Connell. Kord
“I wish we had more weeks here in Adelaide. It’s a lot of fun playing here. I have played some good really tennis here”, said Korda.
Jiri Lehecka beat Nicolas Jarry 6-4 7-5 in 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach his fourth ATP Tour semifinal. Lehecka converted three of his seven break points. The Czech player won his 50th tour-level match.
Lehecka converted his second break point in the second game after a deep return that forced Jarry’s backhand error. Lechecka held serve at love in the eighth game to consolidate his break. The Czech player earned two set points on return in the next game. Jarry saved them with winners and held serve for 4-5. Lehecka held serve at 15 in the 10th game to seal the first set 6-4 after 49 minutes. Both players held serve in the first four games before Lehecka earned a break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Jarry broke back in the seventh game. Both players drew level to 5-5 after four holds of serve.
Lehecka earned a break in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead after Jarry hit a volley at the net. Lehecka sealed the win with a service winner in the 12th game.
