JACK DRAPER OUT FOR REVENGE AFTER SURVIVING MADRID OPEN TEST WITH CLASSY SPORTING GESTURE

is hungry for revenge after coming through a tight contest at the Madrid Open. The British No. 2 came in clutch to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 3-6 7-5 and showed his class with a sporting gesture in the final game. Draper now takes on Hubert Hurkacz, who beat him in Monte Carlo two weeks ago.

Draper's last three losses have come in a final set tiebreak but he finally managed to turn the tide in Madrid, where he went down to the wire against Australian qualifier Kokkinakis. The 22-year-old avoided another tiebreak as he pounced in the last game to close out the match.

In that game, the world No. 43 showed his class as he offered Kokkinakis the chance to redo his first serve after a disturbance. And Draper later explained the importance of sportsmanship, even in the tightest moments. "As he was hitting a serve there was a loud noise," he explained.

"I think he missed the serve but to be honest even if he would've made the serve, I was a bit dazed by it as well so I just said you can have a first serve and I ended up winning the point but it's good to show sportsmanship sometimes."

Momentum swung in Draper's direction after that moment and he earned one final break, getting the job done with a volley winner. He later joked: "Maybe it's God thinking you know, I've let you down a few times but now it's time to sort of turn the tide a little bit.

"But no, it definitely makes you feel a bit better. Like in that situation you know it's the right thing to do and you do something kind like that, it gives you a bit of a buzz, a bit of an, oh I've done the right thing there. There's a lot of opportunities like that in matches to do something like that and I think it's good to show it sometimes."

Now that one of the close three-setters has finally gone his way, Draper is keen to get revenge on one of the players who beat him in a decisive tiebreak. He will face Hurkacz for the second time this month after the world No. 9 won their Monte-Carlo Masters clash 64 36 76(2).

And the 22-year-old has made it clear that he wants to get one back on the Pole. He added: "These conditions will definitely suit him but they suit me as well. I really want to get my revenge on him for a couple of weeks ago, we had a tight battle.

"He's someone who is really rough to play, he's very awkward, very unorthodox and I know he's going to know that I'm going to bring my A game and he will to and it will be a tough match. But hopefully I can do well and win."

2024-04-24T19:14:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd