British males’s No. 1 Jack Draper secured his place within the ultimate of the Qatar Open with a sometimes hard-fought 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 win over Jiri Lehecka on Friday.
The 23-year-old will face world No. 10 Andrey Rublev within the ultimate on Saturday after the Russian overcame Felix Auger-Aliassime of their semifinal matchup.
Lehecka, who surprised Carlos Alcaraz within the quarterfinals, took a set lead earlier than Draper fought again within the second.
The 2024 US Open semifinalist earned the primary break as he went 3-1 up, however Lehecka battled again to stage at 3-3. The video games then went with the serve earlier than Draper emerged victorious from the tiebreak.
A double fault from Lehecka allowed Draper to interrupt within the deciding third set, prompting the Czech to throw his racket to the ground in frustration. With the match momentum now firmly behind him, Draper pressed house his benefit to beat his opponent after two hours and 23 minutes.
“I believed within the first set I put in a sloppy recreation,” Draper stated. “I began to get a lead on his [Lehecka’s] serve, holding simpler and creating lots of strain behind his serve.
“I felt extra constructive because the match went on. I am happy with the best way I competed on the market.”
Victory over Rublev would safe the third ATP title of Draper’s profession.
