Jack Draper downs Alexei Popyrin to reach Queen’s quarter-finals, Jakub Mensik loses his cool
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Britain's Jack Draper celebrates after winning his round of 16 match against Australia's Alexei Popyrin.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – British second seed Jack Draper is hoping to “become a Ferrari” after he reached the Queen’s Club quarter-finals with a gritty 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin on June 18.
The 23-year-old was rocked by the world No. 21 in the first set of the second-round tie at the Wimbledon warm-up event. But he hit back to level the match before taking the final-set tiebreak to complete his comeback in a tense encounter lasting 2hr 13 min in searing heat in west London.
Earlier in his career, such a test of endurance would have been too much for Draper, but he believes he is made of sterner stuff these days.
“Before, I felt like my energy wasn’t that strong. I felt I looked like a bit of a Ferrari, but I was a bit of a Toyota – and broke down quite easy,” he said.
“Now I’m starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself. I have felt better and better every Grand Slam I have played.”
Draper, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2024, is hoping to make a strong run at Wimbledon this season after failing to get past the second round in his previous three appearances.
The Londoner has made the last 16 at both the Australian and French Opens in 2025, rising to sixth in the ATP rankings.
If Draper can reach the Queen’s semi-finals for the first time after two previous last-eight exits, he will be guaranteed to be seeded fourth at Wimbledon when the grass-court Grand Slam gets under way on June 30.
He takes on Brandon Nakashima on June 20 after the American beat Britain’s Dan Evans 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).
After losing the first set to Popyrin, Draper’s powerful groundstrokes dragged him level with a double break in the second set.
Popyrin clung on valiantly, saving two match points as he served at 4-5 in the final set. In the tiebreak he led 4-2, pushing Draper to the brink of a shock defeat.
But the Briton delighted the home crowd as he won five of the last six points, clinching the victory with an ace.
In other matches, Danish fourth seed Holger Rune fought back to seal a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over American Mackenzie McDonald.
Rune, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2023, plays Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard beat Czech eighth seed Jakub Mensik 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Mensik lost his temper during his defeat by Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage.
Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik throws his racket after losing his service game to go 5-6 down in the third set against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
PHOTO: AFP
Mensik, who claimed the Miami Open title in March with a victory over Novak Djokovic after dispatching Bautista Agut in the opening round, endured a reversal at Queen’s. The 19-year-old showed visible frustration as the 37-year-old Spaniard fought back from a set down to win their second-round encounter.
The Czech was 3-1 down in the second set and after failing to convert a break point he smashed his racket on the ground which then slipped from his hands and flew into the stands, where luckily there were plenty of empty seats.
In women’s tennis, third seed and defending champion Jessica Pegula tumbled out in the last 16 of the Berlin Open, losing to 2021 champion Liudmila Samsonova 6-7 (8-10), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) in a marathon match that lasted 3hr 21min.
The Russian, who will face either Poland’s Magdalena Frech or American Amanda Anisimova next, put her thunderous first serve to good use for much of the match, firing a total of 18 aces to Pegula’s two. AFP, REUTERS
