Tennis

US Open: Jack Draper makes his first grand slam quarter-final

Daniil Medvedev through to face Sinner or Paul; Muchova and Pegula win in straight sets

England's Jack Draper. Photograph: Sarah Stier/Getty
Mon Sept 02 2024 - 21:15

Jack Draper booked his place in a first career grand slam quarter-final as he demolished Tomas Machac in the US Open fourth round.

The Englishman continued his strong form, having yet to drop a set in his opening four matches, sweeping to a 6-3 6-1 6-2 victory, underpinned by a run of 16 games out of 19.

He is the first British man to reach the last eight of the US Open since Andy Murray in 2016.

“I just need to keep going; I love playing here in New York, and I will just go through it again, I love playing on these big stages, I look forward to coming out again on Wednesday,” he said.

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Daniil Medvedev will be eyeing a repeat of his 2021 triumph at Flushing Meadows with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz out of the draw and he is safely through to the quarter-finals after a crushing victory over the unseeded Nunes Borges. The Portuguese player only won a single game in the first two sets as Medvedev won at ease 6-0 6-1 6-3.

In the women’s draw, Jessica Pegula was efficient yet again to secure a 6-4 6-2 victory over Russia’s Diana Shnaider. Sixth-seed Pegula, who missed the French Open due to injury but triumphed at a US Open tune-up event in Canada last month, said her game is trending in the right direction as the pressure-packed second week of the grand slam gets under way.

“Today was the best I’ve felt off the ground so I want to keep working and bringing my best tennis for the later rounds,” Pegula said.

“There’s always a lot of pressure here but I like it. It’s nice being an American here and getting all the support.”

The impressive Karolina Muchova, who like Pegula has yet to drop a set at the tournament, hit 17 winners to upset Italian fifth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-3.

The Czech player beat two-time champion Naomi Osaka in the second round and appears to be fully recovered from the wrist surgery that had sidelined her for 10 months.

Earlier in the tournament, ESPN commentator Chris Evert was forced to apologise after she said the Czech “wants to play like a guy” after she beat Osaka in the second round.

“I don’t think I play like a man. I don’t know what to say about that,” she said.

“I don’t really know what she said. But obviously I took some inspiration from, let’s name Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.

“I like to follow what they do. Then it kind of inspires me. I don’t think I play that way.”

Meanwhile, fourth round matches at the US Open were briefly stopped due to a fire alarm in the building housing the technical booth where they operate Hawkeye – the electronic line calling system.

The tournament at Flushing Meadows does not have line judges stationed on court and relies completely on Hawkeye for calls. Television footage showed officials leaving the video replay room after play was stopped.