Draper Cuts Loose With Darderi Win, Into Vienna Quarterfinals

Jack Draper, Erste Bank Open, Vienna
Jack Draper (photo: e|motion/Bildagentur Zolles KG/Christian Hofer).

VIENNA/WASHINGTON, October 24, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

Jack Draper celebrated the latest victory in what has become a breakout season for the British No. 1 in his signature, understated way Thursday afternoon. Working toward the win, though, is where Draper cut loose with fierce, focused determination.

The seventh seed Draper of Great Britain defeated No. 42 Luciano Darderi of Italy, 7-5, 6-1, in the opening match on the day at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna for his 34th victory of 2024. He needed just 76 minutes to advance into his 16th tour-level quarterfinal — ninth of the year — and second indoors after Sofia in 2023, in which he was a finalist.

A fresh and impressive Draper achieved his 50th career hard-court win at Wiener Stadthalle against Darderi, who sent Austrian star Dominic Thiem into retirement Tuesday evening with his first indoor hard-court victory. This time, it would be a different ending for the young Italian, who has never beaten a Top-20 opponent in six tries.

The World No. 18 Draper, who hails from Sutton, England, dropped 15 aces — including four straight to close out the opening set — and struck 34 winners while chalking up only eight unforced errors. He lost only three points on his first serve, winning 91 percent of those points. Draper saved the only break point he faced from Darderi and broke his foe’s serve four times in 10 opportunities. He outpointed his opponent 68-49, cutting loose in the second set after pulling out a tight first one.

“I struggled a little in my first round. I served pretty well but off the ground could have been a little better,” Draper said in his post-match interview with ATP Media, in which he explained how he’s adapted to the Center Court playing conditions in his Vienna debut. “Today, I really found a level. I thought Darderi came out playing crazy well the first set. I knew I had some chances. I had to stay calm. … He brought out the best in my tennis today. I’m really happy with the way my level was consistent.”

Coupled with an earlier win over Japanese wild card Kei Nishikori, Draper has climbed to No. 17 in the live rankings — a career high — and trails Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti for 16th place by just 100 points.

Of note, Draper has become the seventh British player to make the Vienna quarterfinals. He joins Tim Henman (4), Greg Rusedski (3), Dan Evans and Andy Murray (2 each), Mark Cox and Kyle Edmund (1 each).

On Friday, Draper will play No. 27 Tomas Machac, the first Czech quarterfinalist in Vienna since Lukas Rosol in 2015.

Machac rallied for a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 victory over No. 3 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria that stretched over two hours and 31 minutes on Center Court and kept the World No. 9 from adding to his ATP Tour-leading 11 indoor wins this season, including finals in Marseille and Stockholm.

Machac hit 32 winners, broke Dimitrov’s serve four times and withstood 12 aces and 32 winners from the 33-year-old Bulgarian. He outpointed his opponent 107-104.

“I’m really happy I can play against the best ones, especially against Grigor [and win],” Machac, 24, said during his post-match interview with ATP Media. “I was happy with my performance. I realized I can play against him. It was a great moment for me.”

De Minaur advances by Cobolli’s retirement

World No. 10 and second seed Alex de Minaur of Australia advanced to his 11th ATP Tour quarterfinal on indoor hard courts — and second in a row after Antwerp last week — after No. 31 Flavio Cobolli of Italy was forced to retire early in the second set due to a right shoulder injury.

De Minaur led Cobolli, 7-6 (2), 3-1, after one hour and 14 minutes, when the 22-year-old Italian halted the contest in pain, after his serve was broken for the second time in the abbreviated match. He took a medical time out after losing a first-set tie-break to de Minaur, then played three additional games in the second set. De Minaur outpointed Cobolli 60-49.

Next, de Minaur, playing in his second tournament since recovering from a hip injury suffered during the US Open, will face 51st-ranked Czech qualifier Jakub Mensik. The 19-year-old #NextGenATP rising star defeated No. 58 Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, 6-3, 7-6 (7), in one hour and 53 minutes on #Glaubandich Court to reach his fifth ATP Tour quarterfinal of the season.

Mensik fired 23 aces and won 86 percent of his first-serve points. He hit 46 overall winners, saved all four break points he faced and outpointed Kecmanovic 93-81 to earn his 25th tour-level win of the season.

The victory by Mensik, his second in the Vienna main draw following two wins in qualifying last weekend, moved him up to third place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, trailing second place Alex Michelsen by only 25 points.

Around the Erste Bank Open

Three of the four doubles quarterfinals took place Thursday at the #Glaubandich Court on the premises of the Wiener Eislauf-Verein.

Advancing to the semifinals are: Unseeded Neal Skupski of Great Britain and Michael Venus of New Zealand, who upset No. 2 seeds Rohan Bopanna of India and Matthew Ebden of Australia, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 10-8; unseeded Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni of Argentina, who rallied to beat No. 4 seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow of the United States, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 10-8; and No. 3 seeds Harri Heliovaara of Finland and Henry Patten of Great Britain, who eased past Lukas Klein and Jozef Kovalik of Slovakia, 6-1, 6-4.

Thursday’s Erste Bank Open results

Friday’s Erste Bank Open order of play

By the numbers

Karen Khachanov is now on a six-match winning streak after capturing the title in Almaty on Sunday and winning his first two matches in Vienna. The 24th-ranked Russian advanced to the Vienna quarterfinals for the fourth time in eight appearances (2016, 2019, 2023, 2024) after defeating No. 38 Brandon Nakashima of the United States, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, in an hour and 50 minutes on Center Court Thursday night.

Khachanov, who has reached his sixth consecutive indoor quarterfinal dating back to this event last year, wrapped up his 31st win of the season with his 11th service ace and 31st overall winner. He outpointed Nakashima 76-71. In Friday’s quarterfinal round, Khachanov will face No. 41 Matteo Berrettini of Italy.

“Quotable …”

“I’m not fully fit. I’ll be honest, the thing with pneumonia is that it doesn’t take one or two weeks [to get fit]. It takes a few months. I do feel better and better, my cough is visibly better — I’m not coughing as much anymore as even 10 days ago. That shows the medicine is working, that shows that the procedures I’m doing are correct. Hopefully, tennis doesn’t get in the way. I’m feeling better and better, and hopefully I can show it on the court.”

— Top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, during his post-match interview with ATP Media on Wednesday, after advancing to the quarterfinal round.

 

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