- ‘I think this surface could be amazing for my tennis’
- Struggling Djokovic pulls out of Italian Open
Jack Draper took a significant step forward on his journey to becoming a top clay-court player as he recorded the biggest win of his career on the surface, producing a supreme performance to dismantle the 11th seed, Tommy Paul, 6-2, 6-2 and reach the last eight of the Madrid Open.
This victory marks the first time Draper has reached a Masters 1000 quarter-final on clay and it is his first win over a top-30 opponent on the surface. Draper had not previously won three consecutive clay-court matches at ATP level. He will next face Matteo Arnaldi, conqueror of Novak Djokovic in round two, for a place in the semi-finals. Arnaldi defeated the 16th seed, Frances Tiafoe, 6-3, 7-5.
Written by Tumaini Carayol in Madrid
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/apr/30/djokovic-pulls-out-italian-open-three-match-losing-streak-tennis under the title “Jack Draper backs clay court credentials after dismantling Tommy Paul in Madrid”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
