Alex de Minaur crashes out of US Open after straight sets loss to Jack Draper in quarter-finals bloodbath

Alex de Minaur is disappointed at the US Open, as an injury once again ended his dream of winning a Grand Slam.

Try as he might, de Minaur could not hide his despair after his range of motion was clearly compromised in a 6-3 7-5 6-2 quarter-final defeat to inspired Englishman Jack Draper on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).

Australia’s last hope was dashed by a sea of ​​forehand errors, but a recurrent hip injury that had sidelined him since Wimbledon ultimately robbed De Minaur of any realistic chance of reaching a first Grand Slam semi-final.

“I just want to say that I’m very proud of myself, of what I’ve achieved, taking everything into account, everything I’ve done to get to this position. Today wasn’t meant to be,” he said.

‘Jack is never easy to play at the best of times, and the way he can spread the field, being a left-hander and really moving you around the field, takes its toll on the body. The build-up of games takes its toll too.

“But he played well. He deserves the win. He moved me around the court and served great.

‘The few chances I got, I couldn’t take advantage of.’

World number 10 Australia had beaten number 25 Draper in all three previous meetings and said he had never considered giving up or not starting the match.

Left-handed Briton Jack Draper won the quarter-finals 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 in New York

“It’s not in me, it’s not in my DNA,” he said.

‘I don’t like it, to be honest. I’ll always do my best.

‘And look, it may have been naive of me, but I really thought I had a chance, even in that last game.

‘I thought there was a chance that I could turn the match around and win.

‘So at every stage of that game I gave myself a chance, with my attitude and my mindset, to go out on the field.

‘I’ve had a few chances too, but if I had taken them, I might still be on the pitch now.

‘So retiring, that’s not my thing. It’s a rare occasion in my career.’ But the world number 10, who looked hampered by his hip injury, struggled to find top gear at Arthur Ashe Stadium as Draper continued his march through the Open draw.

Even Draper admitted that he had received a little support from de Minaur.

“He was struggling a little bit with something today and that helped me a little bit,” Draper said

Either way, Draper delivered a masterclass in ending Australia’s interest in the final Grand Slam of the year.

Draper gave a masterclass against the struggling Australian

Draper’s reward for the victory is his first appearance in a Grand Slam semi-final on Friday

Although de Minaur made a whopping 18 errors with his forehand, the stylish Brit forced him to hit the ball from the start with powerful ground strokes, a solid serve and a series of beautiful forehand drop shots.

Draper’s reward is a first Grand Slam semi-final appearance on Friday, against world number one and reigning Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner or fifth-seeded 2021 US Open winner Daniil Medvedev.

The young, hard-hitting player has not dropped a single set in the entire tournament, dropping just 36 games in 15 sets, to become the first Briton to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows since former world number one Andy Murray won the title in 2012.

The 22-year-old’s run bears an eerie resemblance to that of another English success story, when Emma Raducanu shocked the tennis world by winning the women’s title as a qualifier in 2021 without dropping a set.

It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if Draper were to win two more matches to clinch the title, but the rising star’s incredible run so far is akin to a man on a similar journey to Raducanu.