Jack Draper beaten by Tommy Paul in quarter-finals at Queen’s

Draper battled back from a set down but a lapse midway through the decider saw him broken to love

Andy Sims
Friday 21 June 2024 20:56 BST
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Jack Draper missed out on a semi-final place (Zac Goodwin/PA)
Jack Draper missed out on a semi-final place (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Wire)

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Jack Draper was unable to build on his sparkling win over Carlos Alcaraz as he missed out on a place in the semi-finals of the cinch Championship.

British number one Draper secured the biggest win of his career when he ended the Queen’s Club reign of Wimbledon champion Alcaraz on Thursday.

But the 22-year-old was outgunned by American fifth seed Tommy Paul, going down 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in two hours and one minute.

Draper battled back from a set down but a lapse midway through the decider saw him broken to love – capped with a double fault – to swing the match Paul’s way.

Defeat ended Draper’s seven-match winning streak after he lifted his first ATP title in Stuttgart last week.

It also ended British interest in the singles after van man Billy Harris hit the skids in his bid to reach the semi-finals.

The 29-year-old wild card from Nottingham was a surprise quarter-finalist having spent most of his nomadic career travelling to lower-ranked tournaments in a transit van.

But his journey in west London ground to a halt against turbocharged Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who won 6-3, 7-5 in an hour and 39 minutes

However, Harris can now treat himself to a new set of wheels with a hefty pay cheque for four days’ work.

Having been guaranteed £60,000 by being granted a Wimbledon wild card on Wednesday, his run to the last eight took his earnings for the week to £121,000.

Prior to Queen’s, Harris’ total career prize money was £230,000.

“It’s definitely going to help, it’s expensive getting around in this sport so any money you can get is a massive help,” said the 6ft 4in right-hander.

“Will I treat myself? A new van, maybe, potentially. I drive a Mini Cooper at the moment.

“It’s a bit tight, I get in and out of a van a bit easier.”

In the doubles, Neal Skupski won the battle of Britain against his Olympics partner Joe Salisbury.

Skupski and New Zealand’s Michael Venus beat Salisbury and America’s Rajeev Ram 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6).

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