After two consecutive wins in the Stuttgart Open, Jack Draper needed three sets to knock out the defending champion, Frances Tiafoe to reach his second semifinals of the year, the sixth of his career, at the Stuttgart Open.
Draper will take on another American, Brandon Nakashima in the semifinal on Saturday. Draper dominated the Stuttgart Open matchup with up to 85% conversion rate on his first serve, including 31 aces, which is a career-high for the Brit.
The Brit’s victory came after Tiafoe had won the first set. Jack Draper had to win the next two sets in 73 minutes. The Brit’s latest win over the world No. 28 has guaranteed he’d become the new British No. 1, leapfrogging Cameron Norrie into the 33rd spot in the next ATP rankings.
Frances Tiafoe Wins The First Set
With Jan-Lennard Struff, who was a finalist of the 2023 Stuttgart Open, out of the tournament after withdrawing ahead of his clash with Brandon Nakashima due to illness, Frances Tiafoe faced Jack Draper, looking to win and create another opportunity to reprise his role in the 2023 final.
After a steady hold game for Jack Draper, Tiafoe came up with a defending champion’s performance in the next game, replying to a powerful Draper forehand with a crosscourt forehand winner of his own, whizzing past Draper to win the game.
To kick off the seventh game, both players had an interesting exchange where Tiafoe replied to Draper’s drop shot at the net with a volley to the baseline. Draper then attempted to hit a crosscourt forehand winner past Tiafoe, but the American was alert to block it and win the point at the net.
Frances Tiafoe continued dominating the first set with good court coverage, footwork, lobs, and forehand winners to pick vital points until a forehand down the line from the American forced Jack Draper into hitting his return long. This produced the first breakpoint of the set and a 6-5 set lead for the defending champion. Draper tried to hold on in the next game, but a backhand that went long gave Tiafoe the first set.
Jack Draper Strikes Back Late
The second set of the Stuttgart Open quarterfinal clash started like the first set did. After a solid hold game from Jack Draper, Tiafoe rallied to a 40-30 lead in his service game. He repeatedly dragged Draper to the edge of the court with heavy crosscourt forehands before winning the game with a forehand winner down the line.
Tiafoe’s exquisite touches and court coverage continued in the second set, especially marked by dominant sliced drop shots at the net. At deuce in the eighth game of the set, Tiafoe hit a big serve down the T. He followed Jack Draper’s return with a heavy forehand to the right far sideline. Draper’s return went high and Tiafoe smashed it away.
In the 10th game, Draper turned the screws on the American. After a sublime drop shot from Tiafoe to win a point, Draper chased it down, hitting a forehand winner across the court and beyond the reach of the stretching Frances Tiafoe to a 0-30 lead. At 15-40, Draper caught a wide Tiafoe serve, leading the American to a forehand shot down the line. Draper then dispatched it on the run with a powerful forehand winner down the line and beyond Tiafoe’s stretch to win the second set.
Draper Wins Deciding Set Tiebreak
Frances Tiafoe tried to secure the third set with a quick start. He conjured heavy forehands in the rally for the first point of the deciding set, pulling Jack Draper out of position to score a forehand winner across the court. But, both players stayed at the top of their games with Draper winning the fifth game of the set to love.
At 40-30 in the eighth game of the set, Tiafoe tried a drop shot which Draper chased down. The American then attempted a lob with Draper so close to the net but miscalculated the height as Draper just reached high and swatted away the overhead smash to send the game to deuce.
The set eventually dragged into a tiebreak. This would be Jack Draper’s fourth deciding set tiebreak after losing the last three. The Brit raced to a 4-1 lead. On Tiafoe’s serve, the American tried a forehand to Draper’s right far side of the court, but the Brit caught the intended winner with a backhand pass down the line to lead 5-1. At 6-1, Frances Tiafoe returned Jack Draper’s serve into the net to send the 22-year-old into the Stuttgart Open semifinals.
Note:
Cameron Norrie lost to fellow Brit, Jack Pinnington Jones to reach the quarter-finals of the Rothesay Open in Nottingham, meaning Draper would climb him in the standings.
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Ebenezer has been an avid writer for over a decade and a half. Within that period, he has garnered experience in various fields such as editing, graphics design, transcribing, sales, data analysis, and football management. He’s also the author of the mystery thriller novel “The Eye of Ra.” For more articles by Ebenezer Ugorji, click here and here!
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