Jack Draper delightfully dispatches Tommy Paul to reach Madrid Open Quarter-Finals

Jack Draper has been open about having to figure out clay as a surface and he is taking to it like a duck to water at the Madrid Open as he dismantled Tommy Paul in just 68 minutes 6-2, 6-2.

Draper clinched his maiden ATP 1000 title at Indian Wells last month but lost early at the Monte-Carlo Masters against a certain Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who was the man of the moment that week. While he then took to the clay with a certain Jannik Sinner in his first week back post ban where he was able to train.

Draper took a lot from his visit to Monte-Carlo and seems to be adapting it to his game style in devastating fashion and given the way the draw has opened up now it could be another ATP 1000 title ironically on a surface not designed to suit him.

Draper though joins elite British company in reaching the last eight in Madrid. These include Andy Murray who is a two-time champion and also Kyle Edmund. Since the former retired last year, Draper has taken the mantle on also with Raducanu's struggles as Britain's top tennis export.

When he is not injured, he has shown himself to be a leading light and is now in the top 10. He could yet be a top five player if he beats Matteo Arnaldi in the Quarter-Finals.

Speaking of Arnaldi, he was the other victor so far today. He overcame American ace Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 7-5. He has shown that his win over Novak Djokovic wasn't a fluke as he managed to seal another win after also dispatching Damir Dzumhur last round.

Arnaldi dictated the baseline exchanges which proved to be wildly effective as he recovered from failing to serve out the match at 5-4 to advance to his maiden clay-court Quarter-Final. In the other side of the draw, it is a mix as Francisco Cerundolo one of the top clay court exports from South America aims to make a European splash and faces Jakub Mensik.

Like Draper, he has come into his own as of late or it could be Casper Ruud, the European clay court king who would be no shock if he won. While Daniil Medvedev has often waxed lyrical about his hatred of clay while also performing on it. He will face Ruud tomorrow.