Jack Draper advanced to his first Grand Slam semifinal after beating Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 at the 2024 US Open Tournament, Thursday (5/9) morning WIB.
Draper, 22, became the first British player to reach the last four at the tournament since Andy Murray claimed the title in 2012.
The win was also the first over the world No. 10 de Minaur in four career meetings.
“It’s amazing. To be here in my first match in the biggest tournament in the world, honestly, it’s a dream come true for me,” the left-hander was quoted as saying by the tournament’s official website.
“I thought I played solid. I felt like I was in the best shape I’ve been in for a long time. I also felt like maybe he (Alex) struggled a little bit today.”
Alex De Minaur came into the tournament fresh from winning titles in Acapulco and ‘s-Hertogenbosch, but after reaching his first Wimbledon quarter-final this summer, he was forced to retire from his match against Novak Djokovic due to a hip injury.
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The injury not only kept him out of the Paris Olympics, but also back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 events on hard courts in Montreal and Cincinnati.
His movement again looked hampered against Drapper, where he struggled to cover baseline at its best speed.
Draper secured victory in a 39-minute opening set, in which Alex made 13 unforced errors.
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Draper is the first player to reach the US Open semifinals without dropping a set since Daniil Medvedev in 2020.
Next, he will face the winner between Jannik Sinner and Medvedev.
“I’m a big sports fan, a big tennis fan, so I’ll definitely be watching the match (Sinner vs Medvedev) tonight if it’s not too late,” he said. (M-3)
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