World No. 16 Jack Draper bounces back from a set down to edge Italian Matteo Berrettini in a physical three-set contest, advancing to the Qatar Open semifinals on Thursday in Doha.
Eighth seed Jack Draper ended world No. 35 Matteo Berrettini’s impressive run in Doha with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win in one hour and 39 minutes on Thursday.
The No. 1 British racquet will face off against world No. 25 Jiri Lehecka for a place in the Qatar Open final.
Earlier in the day, the Czech player earned the biggest win of his career, shocking world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to secure his ticket into the semifinals.
The Briton and Lehecka are tied 1-1 in their series; the former won their latest matchup last season in Paris-Bercy, recording a straight-set win.
Berrettini vs. Draper the Quarterfinal as It Happened
Their second meeting on tour was marked by nail-biting extended baseline exchanges, ferocious ball-striking, and top tennis IQ from both sides of the net, keeping the spectators on the edge of their seats, including nine-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi.
A physical, high-quality encounter saw Berrettini pocketing the opening set 6-4 in 48 minutes.
As the second set wore on, Draper raised his level to go toe-to-toe with the brave Roman native, who stayed sharp on serve, firing 38 winners throughout the match,16 aces overall.
Through a lengthy game, the 23-year-old showcased impressive resilience and patience in the big moments.
Thus, he converted a crucial break in the 10th game in his fourth attempt, setting the match even at one set apiece.
In the third set, Draper came out strong, and when a loose forehand cost Berrettini the fourth game, he capitalized on his chances, holding his ground to extend his advantage to 4-1.
Adjusting his game when needed, he forced Berrettini to play extra shots, adding pressure on the Italian, who dug deep in the seventh game, generating a break point opportunity that the US Open semifinalist fended off to open a 5-2 lead.
The former Wimbledon finalist held at love to keep his hopes alive.
Despite his efforts to recover, 54 unforced errors across the match played a key role in dismantling his strategy and his chances of going further in the ATP 500 event.
Then, Draper served out the match 6-3, advancing to his ninth tour-level semifinal in Doha.
He hit 22 winners against 27 unforced errors, converted two of 13 breakpoint opportunities, and won 76 percent of the points on his first serve.
Elsewhere, former champion Andrey Rublev claimed his first Top-10 win of the season on his 8th match point, prevailing over second seed Alex de Minaur 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(8) in a dramatic match.
The other semifinal will feature fifth seed Rublev against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who made it through his third semifinal of the year after Daniil Medvedev retired from their match after the first set due to illness.