Jack Draper is thru to the ultimate of the Qatar Open after one other comeback victory, this time defeating Jiri Lehecka 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
Lehecka, who shocked prime seed Carlos Alcaraz within the quarters to e-book his assembly with Draper, settled into the competition the quickest, breaking the British No 1 and attending to a place of 5-3 forward serving for the set, the place nerves then confirmed.
Even nonetheless, the 23-year-old Czech saved two break factors as Draper tried to stay within the set, ultimately serving out a 6-3 maintain after deuce.
Into the second set, Draper struck for the primary break to maneuver 3-1 forward however didn’t consolidate it as Lehecka broke straight again after which held serve to degree the arrange at 3-3.
The set remained on serve from there right into a tie-break, which Draper stormed by with a formidable 7-2 success, pushing issues right into a third-set decider.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Watch Draper’s ‘outrageous’ volley towards Lehecka within the Qatar Open semi-final
The third set proved tight till 3-3, the place Draper pressured two break factors and crucially edged forward when Lehecka double-faulted.
Consolidating a break on this event, Draper battled to deuce the following time Lehecka was serving after which earned a match level, which he took to safe victory.
Draper will face Andrey Rublev within the remaining after he edged Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-5) to achieve his third Qatar Open remaining.
Watch Draper vs Rublev within the Qatar Open remaining dwell on Sky Sports activities Tennis at 3pm on Saturday.
The Tenth-ranked Rublev wanted 4 match factors to shut out world No 23 Auger-Aliassime for the sixth time in seven match-ups.
Rublev misplaced the 2018 remaining in Doha however gained in 2020, and withstood 21 aces from the Canadian over the almost three-hour match.
“[It took] everything. It was super tough,” Rublev mentioned.
“He was serving well and I was just saying, ‘Okay, I cannot do much, this is one of the best servers on tour. I just need to try to guess and when I have a moment, just go for it’.”
Draper: I am happy with how I competed and felt higher and higher because the match went on
Draper, who has misplaced all three of his earlier conferences with Rublev, mentioned on Sky Sports activities Tennis afterwards…
“In the first set, I put in a sloppy game and Jiri came out with power. In the second I was holding a bit easier and putting a lot more pressure behind his serve.
“I felt increasingly optimistic about my tennis and bodily higher because the match went on, and I am happy with the best way I competed on the market.
“At the end of last year, I started to pick up some real momentum and then all of a sudden I couldn’t play for a month. In Australia my level was all over the place, but mentally it was really good for me.
“I am positively a unique participant since I final performed him [Rublev]. However he is a top-10 participant who I respect massively. He is been prime 10 for a few years now.
“I watched him play this week, and he’s there every ball.”
Andreeva continues dream Dubai run with gorgeous semis win over Rybakina
Teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva continued her giant-slaying exploits on the Dubai Tennis Championships by upsetting sixth seed Elena Rybakina 6-4 4-6 6-3 within the semi-finals.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Highlights of the Dubai Championship semi-final match between Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva
The 17-year-old French Open semi-finalist, who had shocked five-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek within the quarters and former Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova within the spherical of 32, is the youngest participant to achieve a WTA 1000 Last.
Andreeva additionally turns into the youngest participant to beat three Grand Slam winners at a single occasion since fellow Russian Maria Sharapova in 2004.
“Last time we played it was a really tough match… She went for her shots and killed me in the end. This time I knew she’d hit hard. I tried to fight for every point and kept believing,” Andreeva mentioned.
Up subsequent for Andreeva within the remaining is Clara Tauson of Denmark, after the latter defeated Czech 14th seed Karolina Muchova 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-3.
Tauson, who shocked world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka earlier within the match, has additionally reached her first WTA 1000 remaining.
Watch Jack Draper vs Andrey Rublev within the Qatar Open remaining dwell on Sky Sports activities Tennis at 3pm on Saturday. Watch the ATP and WTA Excursions, in addition to the US Open, dwell on Sky Sports activities Tennis in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities App.
