The young Briton Jack Draper is safely through to the Adelaide semi-final. Jack faced Tommy Paul and scored a dominant 6-1, 6-4 triumph in an hour and 20 minutes, remaining on the title course. Draper served at 51%, and no one noticed that. He dropped 12 points behind the initial shot, fending off the only break chance and keeping the pressure on the other side. Paul failed to match those numbers, losing 46% of the points in his games and suffering four breaks from seven chances offered to Draper. The Briton had the upper hand in the shortest and more advanced exchanges, taming his strokes nicely and sailing into the next round. Jack endured a baseline rally in the encounter’s first game, creating a break chance after Tommy’s rushed forehand. The American sprayed another forehand mistake, losing serve and experiencing an early setback. A left-hander closed the second game with a service winner, cementing the lead and pushing strong on the return in the next one.
Struggling to pass his rival from the baseline, Paul sprayed another forehand error and faced two break points. Jack missed a routine forehand on the first before Tommy hit a double fault that pushed him 3-0 behind. Draper fired an ace in the fourth game, building a massive advantage after only 16 minutes. Paul ended his downfall with a hold in game five before Draper fired a powerful forehand in the next one, forcing the rival’s mistake and moving 5-1 ahead. The American served to stay in the set in the seventh game and experienced another setback. Tommy netted a backhand, offering Jack two set points. The younger player seized the first with a forehand down the line winner, wrapping up the opener 6-1 in 28 minutes after a rock-solid display. Paul served better at the beginning of the second set, staying in touch with his rival and showing his skills on the return at 2-2. The American forced the Briton’s mistake for a break point, and Draper denied it with a service winner on a slow second serve.
Sebastian Korda, Adelaide 2024© Mark Brake / Stringer – Getty Images Sport
Paul netted a backhand in the sixth game, offering his opponent two break points. Tommy denied them with a crafty volley and a service winner, holding with an ace for 3-3. They served well in the next three games, and Paul had to keep that pace while serving to stay in the match at 4-5. He sprayed a forehand error at 30-30, presenting Jack a match point. The Briton played a cracking forehand down the line winner for a comfortable victory and a place in the semi-final. In a battle of two seeded players, Jiri Lehecka ousted Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 7-5 in an hour and 40 minutes. The younger player delivered better numbers behind the first and second serve, losing serve once from the only chances shown to his rival. Jarry stood behind those numbers, playing against seven break points and getting broken three times. Lehecka had the upper hand in the shortest range up to four strokes, earning his victory in that segment. The Czech served better early on, applying the pressure on the Chilean and preparing the ground for a break.
Jack Draper, Sebastian Korda and Alexander Bublik won in Adelaide.
Jiri created two break chances in the second game and seized the second after a deep return that forced Nicolas’ backhand mistake. Lehecka cemented the lead with a hold at love in game eight and earned two set points on the return in the next one. Jarry denied them with winners and held for 4-5. The Czech left those opportunities behind and held at 15 in game ten for 6-4 after 49 minutes. Both players served well at the beginning of the second set, with Jiri securing the fourth game at love for 2-2. Lehecka broke at 15 in game five following Jarry’s loose backhand, moving a set and a break in front. Nicolas stayed focused and pulled the break back in game seven, returning to the positive side. They reached 5-5 after four comfortable holds, heating the drama. The Chilean played a loose service game to fall 6-5 behind, netting a routine volley at the net and allowing his opponent to serve for the victory. Jiri sealed the deal with a service winner in game 12, moving over the top and reaching the semi-final.
Alexander Bublik, Adelaide 2024© Mark Brake / Stringer – Getty Images Sport
The 3rd seed Sebastian Korda ousted Christopher O’Connell 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 29 minutes, moving closer to his second consecutive Adelaide final. The American fired ten aces and saved all three break points, keeping his serve intact and challenging the home star to follow that pace. O’Connell struggled behind the second serve, playing against seven break points and losing serve once in each set, ending his run in the quarter-final. Sebastian settled into a fine rhythm behind the initial shot in the first set. He grabbed a break in the third game and held at 5-4 to wrap up the opener. Korda moved in front with a break in the second set’s seventh game and missed a match point on the return at 5-3. The American squandered three more match points on his serve in the tenth game and faced two break points. He denied them and seized the fifth match point after the rival’s backhand error. Alexander Bublik took down Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 after two hours and 38 minutes, denying a match point. The Italian extended the battle after taking the second set’s tie break and opened a 5-3 advantage in the decider. Bublik defended a match point on his serve in the ninth game and broke back at 15 a few minutes later for 5-5. Musetti squandered a game point in game 12 and fell on the second match point after a wild forehand.
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