Jack Draper earned one of the biggest wins of his career on Thursday when he topped Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif.
The 13th-seeded London native is headed to the semifinals of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in his career.
Draper, 23, has been in just one career Grand Slam semifinal, which he lost last year at the U.S. Open. The ATP Masters 1000 events represent the level just below the four majors.
Shelton, a 22-year-old U.S. player who was seeded 11th, was also vying for his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal berth.
The two players had never faced off previously.
“I didn’t know what to expect today, honestly,” Draper said following the victory. “I’d hit with Ben maybe once or twice, but very short practices. I’ve obviously watched a lot of him, he’s an incredible showman (with) weapons… can hit a winner from anywhere. The serve’s obviously huge. He’s a great competitor and he’s been really consistent.
“I knew coming out here facing him on this court in front of the Americans was going to be really difficult today, and it was. Huge respect to him, huge credit him. He’s going to keep on winning, keep on having an amazing career, so I wish him all the best.”
Draper was barely threatened on his serve, saving the lone break point he faced. He also converted three of his five break opportunities.
The challenge increases for Draper in the next round, as his semifinal foe will be two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. The second-seeded Spaniard downed 25th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Alcaraz is aiming to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only players to win the Indian Wells event three years in a row.
Cerundolo failed to take advantage of any of his six break chances as Alcaraz won his 16th straight match at the BNP Paribas Open.
In the other semifinal, fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia will face off with 12th-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark.
Medvedev eked out a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7) win over 20th-seeded Arthur Fils of France. Fils logged a 26-17 advantage in winners, but he was undone by committing 52 unforced errors to Medvedev’s 30.
Rune rallied for a 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 victory over the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.
–Field Level Media
