Draper to stay aggressive as run possible after Alcaraz shock exit
British No 1 Jack Draper wants to keep being aggressive after the US Open draw opened up for him following Carlos Alcaraz's shock exit.
Draper was set for a blockbusting clash tonight with Alcaraz until the Spaniard was the subject of one of the biggest shocks of all time, going down in straight sets to Botic van De Zandschulp. It is now the world number 74 up next for Draper, with a deep run looking possible.
After some narrow defeats earlier in the year, the 22-yearold wants to be the master of his own destiny. He said: “I took a real look at myself. I said, ‘I need to be more aggressive in certain moments’. I think by losing the matches I did, especially there was a period where I lost three or four 7-6s on the trot against good players, I really felt like these guys aren't going to let me win the match.
“I need to do it myself, and I needtoplayaggressively.ithink it's a weird one. I've had coaches inthepasttellme,‘oh,youneed to be this big-hitting player and serve and volley and one-strike tennis’.thatisn'tthewayforme. The one thing about me being tall that's different from a lot of othertallplayersisthatican scrap, I can move, I can defensively be really good when I need to be. I think it's amazingtohavethatquality because then I've got the foundation of doing that, and now
I can build the rest of my game around that."
If Draper can win his next two matches a possible all-britain quarter-final with Dan Evans looms. Evans backed up his record-breaking first-round win,wherehetriumphedinthe longest-everusopenmatch,to reach the third round. Next up is Australia's Alex de Minaur, whoevansboastsa3-0winning record against.
And the 34-year-old expects De Minaur to change his tactics.“i' ve played him a few times. I'm not sure the game style has been good for him, but it's over five, it's totally different match,” he said. “I don't think he's beat me, so I imagine he'll play a bit differently. but it' s over five, it's long, a long stretch. He obviously goes in the favourite with his first few rounds, and then we'll see.”
Yesterday, Coco Gauff passed a big test of her credentials for winning a second successive US Open after beating Elina Svitolina. The 20-yearold American has set her sights on becoming the first woman to defend her Flushing Meadows title since Serena Williams in 2014 but her form coming into the tournament was not great.
She got through her first two rounds without excelling and was in trouble when 27th seed Svitolina took the opening set.
But g au ff showcase d her fightingspirit to produce a 3-66-36-2 victory on Arthur Ashe.
“It means a lot. I knew today was going to be a tough match. Every timei play elena it’ s hard ,” Gauff said.
“I had to bring my best tennis, I thought I played well and I served a lot better than the other day. I tried to be more aggressive. She was playing well and aggressive, the difference was me being more aggressive after the first set.”
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen had to come from a set down in her opening two matches but she dropped just three games in a 6-2 6-1 victory over Jule Niemeier.
P au lab a dos a, a spaniard who was born in new york, is into the fourth round for the first time afteranarrow6-41-67-6(8)win over Elena-gabriela Ruse.