British tennis player Jack Draper has stormed into the US Open semi-finals for the first time in his career, defeating Australian Alex de Minaur in a straight-sets thriller, Sky News reports.
The 22-year-old, seeded 25th, dominated the match, winning 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 against the 10th seed.
Draper’s victory marks a historic moment for British tennis. He becomes only the fourth British man in the Open era to reach the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, and his run in New York is even more impressive considering he hasn’t dropped a single set throughout the tournament.
Draper attributed his success to his improved fitness, a factor he believes has given him an edge over De Minaur in previous encounters. Draper also acknowledged De Minaur’s fighting spirit but suggested that an undisclosed injury may have hampered the Australian’s performance.
The British number one’s victory comes just months after Andy Murray’s retirement from professional tennis, solidifying Draper’s position as the rising star of British tennis.
Draper will face top seed Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals on Friday, seeking to continue his remarkable run at the US Open.
For de Minaur, who is dating British women’s number one Katie Boulter, the defeat marks his third consecutive grand slam quarter-final loss. He appeared to be battling a possible injury during the match.
