Draper upsets Hurkacz, advances to Tokyo QFs

Jack Draper continued to make his mark against the ATP Tour's top stars in 2024 by downing second seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-4 on Friday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships.

Draper, at a career high of World No. 20 after reaching his maiden major semi-final at the US Open, clinched his third win in four matches against Top 10 opponents by defeating Hurkacz in Tokyo. The 22-year-old built on his momentum from New York by winning 76 per cent of his first-serve points to defeat the World No. 8 in one hour and 24 minutes.

“I was pleased with a lot of things today, I thought my attitude was really good and I got myself out of some tough situations,” Draper said in his post match interview. “I played some pretty big points on my terms and that’s something I’ve wanted to do.

“He’s probably the best server in the world right now so I'm really happy with my composure, the way I approached the game and hopefully I can carry this momentum forward.”

Look at what it means to the fans ☺️@japanopentennis | #kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/9uKde0Lmvm

Draper also saved all three of break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, as he improved his Lexus ATP Head2Head record to 2-4 against the Pole. The Briton will next face Ugo Humbert, who eased past Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 6-2.

Hurkacz’s ambitions to play in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin suffered a setback with his loss. The 27-year-old currently sits 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, 665 points off eighth place as he chases a third appearance at the prestigious season finale.