US Open: Draper crushes Machac to move into first Grand Slam quarter-final

No 25 seed Jack Draper won against Tomas Machac 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the last eight of the US Open on Monday. The tournament represent the first Grand Slam at which Draper has reached the quarter-finals, and he has done so in sensational style by not dropping a single set en route.

The Brit got off to a fast start, not facing a break point in the first set, and breaking the Czech’s serve in his final two service games in the first set to take it 6-3.

In the second set, it was more of the same, with Draper breaking straight away for a 2-0 lead, saving his first break point in his next service game, before breaking again at 4-1 for a double break. The Brit then served out the set to take a dominating 6-3, 6-1 lead.

Draper did had to save five break pointsllate in the third set, with Machac upping his game despite being a double break down. However, the effort was in vain for the Czech, and the Brit closed out the match on his serve serve, 6-2 in the third.

Overall, the quarter-finalist launched down 36 winners, 11 aces, and won 78 percent of points on his first serve.

Brit looking to go further

Speaking about his performance, post-match, Draper said:

“Today I thought I played at a decent level, maybe he was off his best, but I had to stay strong in the points. It’s amazing to play out here on Louis Armstrong, I lost last year here in the same round, so it’s nice to come back and do better here this year.”

The Brit was also asked about what it means to be through to his first grand slam quarter-final:

“I just need to keep going, I have amazing people around me, and I love playing in New York, such amazing fans who always get behind the players and I will just go for it again. I love playing on these big stages, so I look forward to coming out here on Wednesday.”

I will just go for it again. I just love playing on these big stages

Draper, ranked No 25, will face the winner of the match between No 10 seed Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson next.

Ahead of his victory, Jack Draper beat Chinese Zhizhen Zhang (6-3, 6-0, 4-0 ret.), Argentinian Facundo Diaz Acosta (6-4, 6-2, 6-2) and Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp (6-3, 6-4, 6-2).

Machac, ranked No 39, defeated Italian Fabio Fognini (7-5, 6-1, 6-3), American Sebastian Korda, the No 16 seed (6-4, 6-2, 6-4) and Belgian David Goffin (6-3, 6-1, 6-2) earlier in the tournament.

New York (Grand Slam), other last 16 results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 75.000.000, most recent results first):

• Jannik Sinner vs. Tommy Paul
• Alex De Minaur vs. Jordan Thompson
• Nuno Borges vs. Daniil Medvedev: monday
• Frances Tiafoe (20) beat Alexei Popyrin (28): 6-4, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3
• Alexander Zverev (4) beat Brandon Nakashima: 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
• Taylor Fritz (12) beat Casper Ruud (8): 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
• Grigor Dimitrov (9) beat Andrey Rublev (6): 6-3, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3