Sofia Open: Jack Draper youngest Brit since Andy Murray to reach ATP Tour final with win over Jan-Lennard Struff
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ByOli Gent
Updated 10/11/2023 at 20:08 GMT
Jack Draper became the youngest British player since Andy Murray to reach an ATP Tour final as he beat Jan-Lennard Struff in Sofia. Playing some excellent front-footed tennis and smashing down 10 aces, Draper was in full control as he swept past the German third seed, and he will face French second seed Adrian Mannarino in the final. Draper is now ranked No. 60.
Draper advances to quarter-finals in Sofia after overcoming top seed Musetti
Jack Draper became the youngest British player since Andy Murray to reach an ATP Tour final as he beat Jan-Lennard Struff in Sofia.
Draper, 21, defeated the German third seed Struff 6-3 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Sofia Open to match Murray's feat in reaching the 2009 final in Miami, with the Scot also 21 when he reached his maiden tour-level final.
He utilised his devastating power, left-handed awkwardness and thunderous serve to dismantle Struff in 84 minutes in the Bulgarian captial, as the Briton fired down 10 aces to assert his authority on the match.
Now-world no. 60 Draper, who entered this tournament unseeded, had already beaten the top seed Lorenzo Musetti in his second-round encounter, defeating the Italian in straight sets 7-5 6-2, before overcoming Turkish wild card Cem Ilkel in the quarter-final 6-2 6-2.
Draper, who has not dropped a set in Sofia, will play second seed Adrian Mannarino in the final after the Frenchman beat unseeded Russian Pavel Kotov in the other semi-final.
Kotov, who defeated Marton Fuscovics in the last eight, saw his fairytale run to the final four ended in staight sets as Mannarino comprehensively won the opening set 6-2, before a tighter second went to a tiebreak, which Mannarino, the world no. 25, won 7-2.
Draper has been selected by Leon Smith as part of the Great Britain squad to face Serbia in the last eight of the Davis Cup finals, which start on November 21 in Malaga, with Britain's showdown against Novak Djokovic's Serbia the last match on November 23.
With the withdrawal of Dan Evans through injury, entwined with Draper's excellent run of form, the left-hander could well be in with a shot of taking one of the two singles' places up for grabs, competing with Cameron Norrie, the world no. 18, and Murray.
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