Opportunity beckons for Draper as US Open draw is blown wide open

Britain’s Jack Draper is through to the last 16 at the US Open and has done so without dropping a set.

More than that, he’s only been broken just once in all three games, most recently dispatching of Carlos Alcaraz’s conqueror Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets on Saturday 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Draper next faces 23-year-old Czech Tomas Machac for a place in the quarter-finals, with Draper’s form, confidence and the opportunity that has opened in his section of the draw giving him the chance of a lifetime to perhaps taste Grand Slam glory.

Third seed Carlos Alcaraz and seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz have been dumped out of Draper’s section already, with 10th seed Alex de Minaur the highest-ranked player remaining in a section where one player will reach the semi-finals.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic has already been knocked out too in a tournament of upsets, with Sky Sports Tennis analysts Tim Henman and Laura Robson pointing out the opportunity Draper now has in front of him.

“We’ve looked at that section of the draw, and it has opened up,” Henman said.

“It’s just so important that he [Draper] really stays focused on his preparation and performance, and doesn’t get ahead of himself.

“They [players in this section of the draw] will all be aware this is a big opportunity.”

Robson added: “It’s wide open. Jordan Thompson took out the other high seed in this section, beating Hubert Hurkacz, and for De Minaur to be the highest ranked, I think that’s an opening for a lot of players.

“Especially for Jack if we’re getting excited and looking ahead.

“De Minaur hasn’t been totally healthy leading up to this tournament, he’s still been struggling with his hip and hasn’t really played since Wimbledon.

“It feels like a chance.”

Draper clinical and professional, but plenty to improve

Draper’s immediate thoughts courtside after victory over Van de Zandschulp were that he was “solid but scrappy” and “a little bit up and down”.

It was a sentiment shared by Sky Sports analysts Martina Navratilova and Feliciano Lopez, as well as Henman and Robson, with the Brit’s attacking play at the net, volleys and first-serve percentage all areas mentioned as requiring improvement.

“Jack [Draper] really played a very grown-up match. He knew where the big points were, he concentrated, he defended his serve great,” Navratilova said.

“Van de Zandschulp won one of 10 break points. That’s how well Jack defended his serve. Twice he aced him in the same spot on break points.

“Botic had his chances, but Jack played the big points so much better, and he won five of his eight break points. All the important stats, Jack was better.

“If the conversion is different on the break points, Botic can win in straight sets. But instead it was a very straightforward performance from Jack. Just really solid.”

Lopez added: “He [Draper] played a very mature and professional match, and this is the match that he needed to play.

“He’s in a great position now. He’s entering the second week of a Grand Slam without losing a set, he has lost his serve only once.

“The physical condition of a player is very important and always plays an important role when it comes to Grand Slams. It’s great news he’s going to be in great shape entering the second week.

“He reached the fourth round last year, so this year he may be going a little bit further I think.

“I’d like to see him more at the net. I think he feels comfortable beating most of the players recently from the back of the court, but this is not the way he has to play all the time.

“He’s such a big guy, if he went to the net a little bit more, it would be so tough for his opponents to hit passing shots. He can cover the net very well.

“He has a good touch. Still a lot of improvement in his game, but he looks in a great moment in his career. I really like Jack. He looks very composed, and has settled down, and I think it’s a good sign.”

Robson told Sky Sports Tennis: “It was solid. I think the scoreline doesn’t necessarily tell you the full story of the match, especially the first set and the fact he [Draper] faced so many break points.

“He managed to get through them, and I think he was being a bit stubborn at times going for the same serve that he was missing, and trying to flatten it out, instead of sticking to the serve that was working so well.

“When he was under pressure, you saw him go to the spots that serve him so well. All in all, he’ll be happy to get through that in two hours and 15 minutes. It wasn’t a super hard match.

“I thought he could have come into the net more. And one thing is his first volley needs a bit of work. He went too much for the drop volley, and it just became predictable.

“But he’ll be happy to be through to the second week, and Jack just looks so confident these days.

“It’s fun that he’s rolled through to the second week and we can talk about what he could have done so much better today.

“The fact that he hit 103 serves today compared to Botic who hit 70, and that takes it out of your arm a little bit more than you’d want at this stage of the tournament. The fact he’s through is most important.”

Henman added: “When you reflect on it as a whole, it’s pretty routine. In his three matches so far, he hasn’t really been in too many difficult situations, and we have to remember Van de Zandschulp has just knocked out Carlos Alcaraz. He was a different player today and didn’t play as well.

“Jack was very professional, kept his intensity and the first set was 6-3 but was a lot closer than that.

“With that leftie serve firing on all cylinders, by the end of the match Van de Zandschulp didn’t know where Draper was going to go.

“He was so solid, Jack will be absolutely delighted with his performance.

“Also, when you reflect on the match, there’s still plenty he can do better. His first-serve percentage in the first set was 41, and that’s why in three or four service games he was under pressure.

“With the volleys, he seems to bend from his waist a little bit rather than his knee. This is still a player that has a lot of improving to do, and he’s through to the fourth round. It’s good.”

What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in September?

• Jasmin Open, Tunisia – WTA 250 (9-15 September)
• Guadalajara Open, Mexico – WTA 500 (9-15 September)
• Korea Open – WTA 500 (16 -22 September – with Emma Raducanu in action)
• Thailand Open – WTA 250 (16 -22 September)
• Chengdu Open, China – ATP 250 (18-24 September)
• Hangzhou Open, China – ATP 250 (18-24 September)
• China Open – WTA 1000 (Sept 25 – Oct 6)
• Japan Open – ATP 500 (Sept 25 – Oct 1)
• China Open – ATP 500 (Sept 26 – Oct 2)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.

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