Jack Draper secures his first place in the Grand Slam semi-finals after a dominant victory over Australian Alex de Minaur at the US Open.
The British No.1 had never reached this stage of a major before but showed no nerves in Flushing Meadows and played on without dropping a set to win 6-3, 7-5, 6-2. Draper has been in incredible form so far during his campaign in New York, showcasing his hitting style throughout, surviving a slight wobble in the second set to reassert his authority and claim a straight-set victory.
It was a disappointing performance from De Minaur, although the Australian appeared at times to be struggling with the hip problem that forced him to step back at this stage at Wimbledon. The 10th seed was never able to match his opponent’s power or challenge his serve often enough, stumbling out of the starting blocks and never recovering. Draper will face Jannik Sinner or Daniil Medvedev on Friday for a place in the US Open final.
Relive all the action from the US Open below:
Dynamite Jack Draper reaches his first Grand Slam semifinal and destroys the US Open
By reaching the semi-finals of the US Open, Jack Draper has also established himself as the new star of British tennis.
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 21:39
Jack Draper reacts to his first Grand Slam semi-final appearance
Draper has arranged a date with either Jannik Sinner or Daniil Medvedev, who will play against Arthur Ashe later.
“It’s incredible. Honestly, being out here in my first match on the biggest court in the world is a dream come true for me. It means everything to me.
“I think I played a solid match. I feel fitter than I have in a long time and that’s what Alex has brought me in the past. I think he struggled with something today but he’s an incredible fighter and we’ll have many more fights.
“I’m a big tennis fan and I’ll definitely watch the match tonight if it doesn’t take too long. I’ll enjoy the win and relax.”
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 21:18
JACK DRAPER IN THE SEMIFINALS OF THE US OPEN!
Jack Draper is a Grand Slam semi-finalist! Dominant and dynamic from the British number 1, too good for tenth seed Alex de Minaur: 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.
He made it to the last four without losing a set!
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 21:13
Jack Draper* 6-3, 7-5, 5-2 Alex de Minaur
And things are getting worse for Alex de Minaur. He can probably start looking for flights on Thursday morning – another game to go and Jack Draper is almost there…
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 21:09
Jack Draper 6-3, 7-5, 4-2 Alex de Minaur*
Draper fights his way out of the danger zone at 15:40 and takes another step towards the last four.
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 21:06
Jack Draper* 6-3, 7-5, 3-2 Alex de Minaur
Jack Draper collapses! The British left-hander raises his level and brings the finish line in sight by firing a few beautiful forehand shots past his opponent.
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 21:01
Jack Draper 6-3, 7-5, 2-2 Alex de Minaur*
Great move from Alex de Minaur, who races full throttle to grab a forehand passing shot after Jack Draper failed to save the point. But it doesn’t matter – we’re sticking with serve in the third set.
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 20:57
Jack Draper* 6-3, 7-5, 1-2 Alex de Minaur
A slightly nervous look back from Alex de Minaur as he checks that the flight path is correctly entered on a lob from Jack Draper, which he passes with his left, but the controller has hit the bull’s eye, landing on a runway along the tram tracks. An ace down the middle is a pretty nice way to hold up again.
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 20:52
Jack Draper 6-3, 7-5, 1-1 Alex de Minaur*
Jack Draper answers without unnecessary fuss.
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 20:50
Jack Draper* 6-3, 7-5, 0-1 Alex de Minaur
A strong start from Alex de Minaur, who still walks tall and refuses to let his head hang. How much is his hip bothering him? His fightback in the second set was impressive, but one wonders if the Australian can sustain what he needs to sustain in five sets to advance.
Harry Latham Coyle4 September 2024 20:47
