Jack Draper said it was “incredible” to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final with a convincing win over Tomas Maczak at the US Open.
The 22-year-old played brilliantly to beat the Czech player 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
Draper became the first British player to reach the quarter-finals of the men’s singles at Flushing Meadows since Andy Murray in 2016.
“I thought the fundamentals were really good,” Draper told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We raised our level when we needed to and were pretty clinical in some moments but that was it really.
“I felt like I played a really good game and did what I needed to do.”
Czech Macak, who had won the previous three matches between the pair, started strongly but was overpowered by a focused Draper in just one hour and 44 minutes.
While many big names, including Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, have been eliminated early on, Draper is yet to drop a set in the tournament and has every reason to believe he can win.
It was an impressive performance for the 6-foot-4 left-hander during a breakout year that included his first ATP title in Stuttgart and a win over Wimbledon champion Alcaraz at Queen’s.
He will next face either 10th seed Alex de Minaur or Jordan Thompson, with a possible quarterfinal encounter against world number one Jannik Sinner.
“It feels fantastic to be in the last eight,” Draper told Sky Sports.
“My first quarter-final means a lot to me. It’s made me feel more and more confident.”
Cold ruthlessness leads Draper to victory
The 23-year-old Maczak started the match brightly, making his presence known with a series of fierce forehand strikes to take Draper to deuce in the Briton’s first service game.
But Draper withstood the early onslaught and regained his composure with three aces in his next service game before quickly taking control.
He was given the first break when Maczak hit a routine overhead into the net followed by a long ball, but he made the most of the opportunity, smashing a powerful backhand down the line to bring up two set points and earn a third.
After showing power from the baseline in the first quarter, Draper showed some deft touch at the start of the second, drilling two nice drop shots.
But while Draper’s confidence and swagger grew, his opponents were becoming increasingly frustrated, and he was regularly seen getting into heated arguments with coach Daniel Vacek between and during matches.
Double faults were becoming an issue for the Czech, ranked 39th in the world, as he double-faulted twice in one game, allowing his opponent to break on his first chance in the second set.
Draper took the lead, moving calmly around the court and attacking relentlessly, calmly saving a break back point before breaking for a second time to take a 5-1 lead.
Two eye-catching winners put him on serve and when the Briton broke in the opening game of the third set, Maczak’s chances of a comeback looked slim.
Five of the six break points Draper faced came in his final two service games, and Maczak, who was two breaks down at this point, tried to delay the inevitable, but the British number one kept his cool.
“Once the tournament is over I’ll be able to look back and be proud of what I’ve achieved, but for now I’m focused on the next round and want to do even better,” he said.
“One of my main goals was to consistently do well in practice, stay fit and just get stronger and stronger overall, and I think that hard work is paying off.”
“I’m just happy to be in the position I’m in now.”
With a place in the quarter-finals already assured, if Draper wins another match he will become the first British player to reach the men’s semi-finals in New York since Murray won his first Grand Slam title in 2012.
“It was a master class” – Reactions
Former British number one Tim Henman told BBC Radio 5 Live: “From 3-3 in the first set it was a masterclass.
“Jack was so efficient in every way: his movement, his controlled aggression, his consistency. He made no self-destructive mistakes. He never let his opponents settle.”
“I think Jack has shown great maturity in reaching his first Grand Slam quarter-final. It’s a big moment in Jack’s career and I look forward to seeing even more from him in the future.”
“Jack loves the game, he’s interested in the game, he’s curious about the game, and that’s a really great thing to have inside,” Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain Leon Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Former British number one Annabel Croft told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Oh my goodness, Jack beat him. He took every last bit of confidence from the player at the other end of the court.”
“He played sensational tennis, not just with his serve, but with his attacking play, his forehand, his backhand and everything else.
“What was so impressive was how calm and collected he was. He never yelled in the box. There was no need for yelling and he looked prepared for this stage of a Grand Slam.”