Jack Draper beaten in tight quarter-final clash against Tommy Paul
Jack Draper's hopes of winning two ATP Tour titles in a row were dashed when he was defeated in the quarter-finals of the cinch Championships. The British No.1 was beaten by Tommy Paul with a score of 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Yesterday, a 22-year-old player defeated the top-ranked and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 6-3 in the second round. This has generated excitement among British tennis fans who are eager to see a British player win the Queen's Club tournament for the first time since Andy Murray in 2016.
One day after his notable victory, Draper encountered a new challenge from the world's 13th ranked player. The higher-ranked player ended up defeating the young talent on his home court, thus ending Draper's seven-game winning streak on the grass.
Thinking back on his defeat, Draper expressed, "I believe Tommy performed excellently, he maintained a high level of play throughout the match. The weather conditions were challenging today, with strong wind and unpredictable swirls, making it difficult to execute my preferred style of tennis. However, we must adapt to these conditions as they are a natural part of the game."
"I struggled to find my rhythm today, possibly due to being tired from the past few weeks. However, Tommy played exceptionally well and deserved the win."
The young athlete has had a hectic few weeks, achieving the status of being the top British player for the first time. He also won his first ATP Tour title at the Boss Open in Stuttgart and was chosen to compete for Great Britain in his debut Olympic games.
My body has been feeling good, but mentally it's been challenging to keep going day after day. After finishing a competition in Stuttgart on Sunday, I arrived very late that same day and had training the next day.
The game against Alcaraz yesterday seemed to have a lot of intense emotions involved. Today, I felt a bit drained and I believe it affected my choices during the match.
I made more mistakes than I intended to, but in order to become one of the top players in the world, I need to consistently perform well and continually improve.
