Draper Set to Clash with Czech Jiri Lehecka

LONDON: At the Andy Murray Arena on Friday, Britain’s Jack Draper overcame Brandon Nakashima with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, securing his place in the Queen’s Club championships semi-finals.

Draper’s victory marks his inaugural semi-final appearance. The triumph also assures him a top-four seeding at Wimbledon.

Nakashima also demonstrated skill, clinching the second set amid warm weather conditions.

Draper recovered in the deciding set, achieving a service break in the seventh game with a powerful forehand.

Serving for the match at 5-4, the British player faced a breakpoint but managed to secure the win, arranging a match against Czech Jiri Lehecka, who previously defeated Britain’s Jacob Fearnley with a score of 7-5, 6-2.

Draper expressed that reaching the semi-final holds great significance, and heading to Wimbledon as a fourth seed is a moment of pride.

“Reaching the semi-finals here means the world to me. Journalists kept asking me about it, but I had to get to the semi-finals first,” Draper stated.

“It’s an amazing position; I was ranked 40th at Wimbledon last year, so being the fourth seed is a testament to my team’s hard work, and I’m very proud of that,” he added.

In another event, newly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff faced an unexpected defeat against Wang Xinyu, with a score of 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday.

Gauff mentioned in a social media update that the loss was challenging, but she is anticipating her participation in Wimbledon.

“Today was tough, but I’m glad to be back on the court. I gave it my best shot to adapt to the quick turnaround, but it wasn’t enough. As always, I’m learning as I progress, so I hope to improve next time,” Gauff commented.

“Looking forward to additional practice sessions to prepare for Wimbledon,” she added.