US Open: Jack Draper rolls through to the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time, silencing the New York crowd and defeating US shock hope Michael Mmoh in four sets
- Jack Draper defeated Michael Mmoh 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-3 to make it to the fourth round
- The 21-year-old silenced the home crowd and sealed his first Grand Slam place in the last 16
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Jack Draper was out of sight and out of mind from the British public for much of this summer. Much of the season was blighted by a succession of injuries that reduced him to a spectator around Wimbledon.
However, it was only a matter of time before he would recover and now he is out of the blue for the first time in the last sixteen of a Grand Slam event.
The 21-year-old from Surrey once again recalled his prowess last night as he ignored a partisan crowd by defeating American Michael Mmoh 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-3 to make it to the fourth round of the US Open, with very little tennis. behind him.
He had to wait for eighth seed winner Andrey Rublev and Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, which would have been an unlikely scenario 11 days ago as he pulled out of the ATP event at Winston Salem with recurring shoulder problems.
Draper is rated 118th due to his extended absence this season, but he looked a lot better than the somewhat unorthodox world No. 89 in the stands at Flushing Meadows.
The Briton Jack Draper has booked his place in the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time on Saturday
The 21-year-old defeated American Michael Mmoh 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the third round of the US Open
The world number 118 looked a lot better than Mmoh in the Flushing Meadows grandstand arena
“It was a tough game, he’s had a great year so I knew it was going to be a challenge,” said the British number four.
“Last year I played on the same field in the third round and got injured. I’m proud to have come this far after a tough year for me. There’s a great energy in New York.”
In a game of heavy hitting from the baseline, Draper’s forehand failed early on, but he slowly showed his superior class and once again there was no sign of the shoulder and arm problems that plagued him.
He raced away with the second set, but Mmoh, who has a service move somewhat reminiscent of Jo Konta, confused him in the third set.
Draper threw his racket to the ground in frustration as it ran away with him, and the American was not afraid to stir up the crowd, sheltering in the shade away from the hot sun.
The British southpaw forced the critical break point at 3-2 in the fourth, knowing he had to force victory as quickly as possible having played just 19 games before in 2023, making stamina a potential issue. Under constant pressure, he just managed to hold on to a very creditable victory in three hours and four minutes.