Draper dumps champion in rain-delay win

Jack Draper hammered 31 aces to knock defending champion Frances Tiafoe out in a rain-interrupted quarter-final on Friday at the Stuttgart Open.

The new British No. 1 spent two and a quarter hours – plus a one-hour interruption for bad weather – in posting the 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (1) fightback which takes him into the seventh ATP-level semi-final of his career.

The match was interrupted with two games played in the second set, which Tiafoe won with a single break of serve.

But once back on court, the 22-year-old Draper went to work constructing his comeback. 

He will play for a spot in the final against American Brandon Nakashima, who advanced to the final four when 2023 finalist Jan-Lennard Struff was unable to play due to illness.

Nakashima beat Draper in their only previous match, played at the 2022 NextGen Finals in MIlan.

“I’m incredibly happy,” Draper said after his success ove fourth seed Tiafoe. “I think today was also the most aces I’ve ever hit. 

“I’m happy with the way I played and the way I served, it was a really high-quality match.”

Daper’s performance this week in Germany will raise his ranking to at least 35th form 40th, putting him within possible touching distance of a Wimbledon seeding if he can progress further over the coming days prior to the July 1 start at the All England Club

“It was very stop-start,” Draper said of the day. “It was difficult to lose the first set, then go out and try to react, stay positive.”