Draper flashes past teenager Fonseca to reach French Open last 16
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Britain's Jack Draper shakes hands with Brazil's Joao Fonseca after winning his third round match REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Brazil's Joao Fonseca in action during his third round match against Britain's Jack Draper REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Britain's Jack Draper in action during his third round match against Brazil's Joao Fonseca REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Brazil's Joao Fonseca in action during his third round match against Britain's Jack Draper REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Britain's Jack Draper in action during his third round match against Brazil's Joao Fonseca REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
PARIS - Jack Draper's French Open campaign continued in style on Saturday as the Briton ended Brazilian poster boy Joao Fonseca's run with a ruthless 6-2 6-4 6-2 victory to reach the fourth round.
The British fifth seed, who made it to the semi-finals at last year's U.S. Open, was facing a potentially tricky test against the flashy Fonseca, who at 18 already has his army of fans and whose brilliant play has caught the eye at Roland Garros.
The left-handed Draper, however, was not impressed, letting his opponent shine at times but keeping things under control as dark clouds made way for the sun on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
"I knew it was going to be a tight match, Joao caught the attention of everyone, the fans, so much to come from him; today a bit of experience made the difference, he's got an unbelievably bright future," said Draper.
"I played good, the conditions were tough out here. The first set was really key, I used my forehand well, mentally it was a good performance today. Happy to be in the second week here and hopefully more to come."
In an another test of his claycourt credentials, Draper, who made it to the final at the Madrid Masters, will take on Portugal's Henrique Rocha or Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.
Draper snatched Fonseca's serve in the third game of what promised to be a battle of heavy hitters.
Despite a poor first-serve percentage early on, Draper held on to win the opening set after stealing his opponent's serve a second time.
Fonseca whipped several beautiful forehand winners, but his game was marred by unforced errors while Draper stayed solid and precise, himself punishing the Brazilian with a few superb, Rafa Nadal-like forehands.
Reading Fonseca's serve with an eagle eye, Draper forced more and more errors from his overwhelmed opponent, ending it with an unreturnable serve on the first match point. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
McLaughlin-Levrone impresses in 100m debut in Philadelphia
FILE PHOTO: May 4, 2025; Miramar, FL, USA; Sydney McLaughlin (USA) wins the women's long hurdles 400m in 49.69 during the Grand Slam Track Miami at Ansin Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images/File Photo REUTERS Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ventured beyond her usual 400 metres event, clocking an impressive 11.21 seconds to take second place in her first professional 100 metres flat race at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia on Sunday. The American four-time Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400 metres hurdles, accustomed to dominating the one-lap event, found herself beaten by Jamaica's Ackera Nugent, who won in 11.11 seconds. Nugent's victory completed a weekend double, securing the women's short hurdles group with a perfect 24 points following her success in Saturday's 100 metres hurdles. American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden scorched the track with a blistering time of 10.73 seconds in the 100 metres, cementing her victory in the short sprints group with 24 points after her 200 metres triumph on Saturday. Meanwhile, Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino dominated the women's long sprints group with 24 points, having won the 200 metres in 22.46 seconds. Britain's Lina Nielsen also shone, capturing the 400 metres hurdles in 52.60 seconds, while Etiopia Diribe Welteji secured victory in the 800 metres in 1:58.94. In the men's events, American Kenny Bednarek shaved one-hundredth of a second off his personal best in the 100 metres, finishing in 9.86 seconds and took the short sprints group getting 24 points. Meanwhile, Olympic silver medallist Josh Kerr from Britain beat gold medallist Cole Hocker by just seven-hundredths of a second in a thrilling 1500 metres race, finishing in 3:34.44. American Trevor Bassitt provided late drama in the 400 metres hurdles, outduelling Alison dos Santos and Chris Robinson to win in 45.47 seconds. He also won the men's long hurdles group with 20 points. There were also wins for Americans Trey Cunningham in the short hurdles group 100 metres with a time of 10.36 seconds and Nico Young in the men's 3000 metres in his first Grand Slam Track appearance, while Dominican Alexander Ogando took the men's 200 metres with a time of 20.13 seconds. The Grand Slam Track season will conclude with its fourth meeting in Los Angeles on June 27-29. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Musetti swings past Rune into French Open quarter-finals
PARIS :Lorenzo Musetti's impressive claycourt season rolled on in style on Sunday when the Italian craftsman downed the talented yet erratic Holger Rune 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time. World number seven Musetti, who will take on American 15th seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last four, adjusted to the Dane's shift to a swashbuckling approach to keep his title hopes alive in a year that has seen him steady his game. For the 10th-seeded Rune, it was yet another failure against a member of the top 10 at a Grand Slam as he was denied a third quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros. "Last night I was dreaming of this match against Holger and I was playing at that level. I need to be very good, and I am really proud of myself tonight," said Musetti. Musetti, who said he has put some order in his game, arrived in Paris having reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters events this season on clay. He did not disappoint on the Philippe Chatrier court, delighting the crowd with a handful of exquisite shots, notably from his impressive single-handed backhand. "I complain less now, I'm more steady," he said. The 23-year-old made a fast start, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner before consolidating for a 2-0 lead. The Italian, who came into the match boasting an 11-0 Grand Slam record against players ranked outside the top five, looked sharp early, forcing a break point in the third game before netting a forehand that allowed Rune to steady himself and hold. COMPOSED The opening set remained scrappy, with both players trading breaks as unforced errors piled up on Rune's side of the court. Musetti kept his nose in front, capitalising on Rune's inconsistency to take the first set, with the momentum hinging on whether the Dane could tighten his game. Rune responded well in the second set, adopting a more aggressive approach by charging the net to disrupt Musetti's rhythm. The tactic paid off as the 22-year-old secured a vital break and maintained his composure, sealing the set with a powerful smash to level the match. Errors crept back into Rune's game in the fourth set, allowing Musetti to surge ahead 2-0 as the Italian kept his game tight and composed. Having adjusted to Rune's frequent forays to the net, Musetti began to find his range with a series of precise backhand passing shots. He carved out two break points in the opening game of the third set and converted with a blistering forehand winner, seizing full control of the contest. It was virtually game over when Rune dropped serve again in the fifth game, sending a forehand wide when he had an open court. Musetti wrapped it up on serve with an ace for his first win against Rune in three encounters. Addressing his army of fans in Italian, he said: "To all the Italians who are here in Paris, obviously you've stayed deep into the night, your support was fundamental, it helped me push my limits."
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Musetti swings past Rune into French Open quarter-finals
PARIS - Lorenzo Musetti's impressive claycourt season rolled on in style on Sunday when the Italian craftsman downed the talented yet erratic Holger Rune 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time. World number seven Musetti, who will take on American 15th seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last four, adjusted to the Dane's shift to a swashbuckling approach to keep his title hopes alive in a year that has seen him steady his game. For the 10th-seeded Rune, it was yet another failure against a member of the top 10 at a Grand Slam as he was denied a third quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros. "Last night I was dreaming of this match against Holger and I was playing at that level. I need to be very good, and I am really proud of myself tonight," said Musetti. Musetti, who said he has put some order in his game, arrived in Paris having reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters events this season on clay. He did not disappoint on the Philippe Chatrier court, delighting the crowd with a handful of exquisite shots, notably from his impressive single-handed backhand. "I complain less now, I'm more steady," he said. The 23-year-old made a fast start, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner before consolidating for a 2-0 lead. The Italian, who came into the match boasting an 11-0 Grand Slam record against players ranked outside the top five, looked sharp early, forcing a break point in the third game before netting a forehand that allowed Rune to steady himself and hold. COMPOSED The opening set remained scrappy, with both players trading breaks as unforced errors piled up on Rune's side of the court. Musetti kept his nose in front, capitalising on Rune's inconsistency to take the first set, with the momentum hinging on whether the Dane could tighten his game. Rune responded well in the second set, adopting a more aggressive approach by charging the net to disrupt Musetti's rhythm. The tactic paid off as the 22-year-old secured a vital break and maintained his composure, sealing the set with a powerful smash to level the match. Errors crept back into Rune's game in the fourth set, allowing Musetti to surge ahead 2-0 as the Italian kept his game tight and composed. Having adjusted to Rune's frequent forays to the net, Musetti began to find his range with a series of precise backhand passing shots. He carved out two break points in the opening game of the third set and converted with a blistering forehand winner, seizing full control of the contest. It was virtually game over when Rune dropped serve again in the fifth game, sending a forehand wide when he had an open court. Musetti wrapped it up on serve with an ace for his first win against Rune in three encounters. Addressing his army of fans in Italian, he said: "To all the Italians who are here in Paris, obviously you've stayed deep into the night, your support was fundamental, it helped me push my limits." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
