Jack Draper is set to play in his first Grand Slam quarter-final when he takes on Alex de Minaur at the US Open - but what does he need to do to win?
Just a couple of years ago, a frustrating run of injuries left Jack Draper thinking he "wasn't cut out for tennis."
Draper, long tipped as one of British tennis' great prospects, will hope this is the start of things to come.As a 6ft 4in left-hander, Draper's natural tools can give opponents pause for thought before they even step onto court.The scarcity of left-handers in the game already makes Draper tricky, but the fact that he is naturally right-handed makes him even more difficult to face. Essentially, his double-handed backhand almost becomes a second, powerful forehand.
"You look at his game the way it’s developed from the back of the court, both forehand and backhand are so solid," six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Tim Henman told BBC Radio 5 Live. The Briton's combined seven hours on court is the least of the quarter-finalists by around an hour and a halfThe former Wimbledon juniors runner-up struggled with hip and shoulder injuries to the point that he considered quitting tennis.However, he has bigger goals - chiefly becoming "one of the top players in the world".However, he has shown real composure during his New York run, remaining focused on the job at hand, with even his celebrations understated.
But this has been a breakthrough year for Draper, following up his first ATP Tour title in June with an eye-catching win over Wimbledon champion Alcaraz at Queen's."He’s managed to have a long period of time where he hasn’t missed months of being on tour, so he’s banking way more experience," Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith told BBC Sport.
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