Jack Draper gave
Tomas Machac no chances and reached the
US Open quarterfinals with a commanding 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 victory. The British No. 1 advanced to the Last 8 of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time and secured his best ranking so far as world No. 23.
Impressive Draper reaches US Open Quarterfinals
A player like Draper (No. 25) rarely gives many opportunities from his serve, but against Machac (No. 39), he probably exceeded expectations, as he was dominant from the start. In the first games, both players held their service games until 3-3, at which point the Czech still looked competitive against the Brit.
However, Machac's service began to falter, especially when playing with his second serve. He committed 16 unforced errors (compared to only 6 by his opponent), particularly struggling in long rallies. Draper secured two consecutive breaks and took the set 6-3.
Moreover, the beginning of the second set was even better for the Brit, who broke right away, winning six consecutive games in total, and took a 3-0 lead. Gradually, the world No. 25 took control, being more aggressive than at the start with 12 winners compared to just 5 from his rival.
Jack Draper at 2024 US Open.
He also won 83% of the points played on his first serve against a poor 55% from his opponent. Draper secured a second break and took the set 6-1 in convincing fashion, and after just over an hour, he was already two sets up.
The Brit's superiority became even more evident at the start of the third set when he got an early break, putting him in an excellent position to secure the victory. Machac lost his serve for the second time in the 5th game, and it seemed all was lost. However, he had a slight comeback, earning several break opportunities after a match where Draper had been incredibly effective with both his first and second serves.
Nevertheless, it was not enough to recover. Draper saved five break points before closing the victory 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the US Open quarterfinals, his best performance in a Grand Slam so far. His next opponent will be the winner of the all-Australian duel between Alex De Minaur (No. 10) and Jordan Thompson (No. 32).