Draper breaks through on clay with Madrid win

Jack Draper stepped up his clay game on Wednesday with one of his best wins on clay, thrashing world No. 12 Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-2 for a place in the fourth round of the Madrid Masters.

The British No, 1, ranked fifth on the ATP list, did not face a break point as he mowed down his American opponent in 69 minutes.

Draper said the sacrifices of staying inside the ranking top 10 are a challenge but well worth the daily effort in a sport which runs up to 11 months per year.

“There’s no denying that in tennis it’s so relentless, we’re playing, we’re competing, we’re away from our families, we’re just sacrificing our lives,” he said.

“If you give it everything every day, you know, it’s tough. I doubt myself every day …  can I keep going, can I keep going, can I keep going, but, you know, I do. 

“If you want to be great then these are the things you have to do. I do a sport I love, I get to travel with amazing people, earn good money. 

“It’s really, really mentally challenging, physically challenging, but I kind of, I enjoy that. 

“I don’t know if I’ll play until I’m in the-mid 30s, so I’m just going to try and make the best out of my career, hopefully try and fulfill my potential.”

Draper will next test himself against Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who knocked out Novak Djokovic this week in the second round.

Main photo:- Jack Draper winning his third round match in Madrid – by ATP Tour.com/Mutua Madrid Masters