New British number one Jack Draper claimed the biggest victory of his career by beating top seed Carlos Alcaraz at the cinch Championships.
The 22-year-old, now ranked a career-high 31 after winning his maiden ATP title in Stuttgart last week, stunned the reigning Queen’s and Wimbledon champion 7-6 (3) 6-3.
Spanish superstar Alcaraz, who also won the French Open earlier this month, had not been beaten in seven weeks or lost a match on grass in almost two years.
But Draper served notice that he is ready to mix it in the upper echelons of the game by becoming the first British man to beat a top-two player on grass since Andy Murray against Novak Djokovic in the 2013 Wimbledon final.
“It was a really tough match,” said Draper. “Carlos is the defending champion, he won Wimbledon, he’s an incredible talent and amazing for the sport.
“I had to come out and play well and luckily I did.
“There’s no place I’d rather be right now, with my family, my friends and the British support. I’ve got my grandad here, who’s just turned 80, he’s doing well.”
Draper will now fancy his chances of making it back-to-back titles and giving British men’s tennis a major shot in the arm after Andy Murray and Dan Evans suffered injuries which have threatened their participation at Wimbledon.
After a high-quality first set, which featured no break points, rumbled into a tie-break it was Draper who held his nerve.
Serving beautifully, he brought up five set points and took the third when Alcaraz dunked a return into the net.
Draper fashioned the first break point of the match at 3-2 in the second and dispatched it by punching an Alcaraz serve back down the line.
Alcaraz, 21, saved three match points on his own serve but Draper finished the job in the next game for a statement victory.
He will play American fifth seed Tommy Paul, a 6-3 6-4 winner over Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, in the quarter-final.
