By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, June 21, 2024
No. 5-seeded Tommy Paul broke three times downing Jack Draper 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to reach his maiden Queen's Club semifinal.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Facing Jack Draper on grass can be a disarming experience.
Hitting with precision, Tommy Paul downed Draper to continue his career-best Queen’s Club run.
More: Draper Dethrones Alcaraz at Queen's Club
The fifth-seeded Paul broke three times defeating Draper 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to reach his maiden Queen's Club semifinal today.
Paul snapped Draper’s seven-match grass-court winning streak the day after the British left-hander thrilled home court fans stunning 2023 Queen’s Club and Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 6-3 for his biggest career win.
Though Queen’s Club fans were roaring for the British No. 1, Paul was not fazed. The former Australian Open semifinalist smacked 30 winners—six more than Draper—and scored the crucial break at love for a 4-3 lead in the final set.
“I’m definitely playing some good tennis,” Paul said in his on-court interview. “I really like the grass. I knew today was going to be a battle. It's never easy with Jack—he’s playing some amazing tennis—so I’m really happy to get through that.”
The victory vaults Paul into his 13th Tour-level semifinal.
World No. 13 Paul, the lone seed still standing in the field, will play either compatriot Sebastian Korda or Aussie qualifier Rinky Hijikata for a spot in Sunday’s final.
“His serve is not fun to deal with—he plays really aggressive–so for me the key was to play my game and I thought I did that pretty good today,” Paul said of the red-hot Draper. “I didn’t feel like the seed today. I’m excited to watch the next match. Obviously, I’m going to play the winner of that match. So I’ll do a little studying.”
Three American men reached the Queen’s Club quarterfinals—most since 2009 when Davis Cup teammates Andy Roddick, James Blake and Mardy Fish advanced to the last eight—but top-ranked American Taylor Fritz did not survive the quarterfinals.
Aussie Jordan Thompson topped Fritz 6-3, 6-4 without facing a single break point.
World No. 43 Thompson is into his seventh ATP semifinal, including his fifth grass-court semifinal. The 30-year-old Thompson will play Lorenzo Musetti for a spot in the final.
Musetti, the only man standing who has a 500-level ATP title to his credit, beat British wild card Billy Harris 6-3, 7-5 advancing to his second straight grass-court semifinal after reaching the final four in Stuttgart last week.