Tommy Paul knocks out in-form Jack Draper in Queen's Club quarterfinals

Tommy Paul (No. 13) ended Jack Draper's (No. 31) winning streak in the quarter-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships. The American eliminated one of the most in-form players in the grass-swing and is now the main favorite among the remaining competitors, as he prepares for a semi-final clash against either Korda or Hijikata.

World No. 31 Draper came in with full confidence after seven consecutive wins on grass, including a victory over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round. Paul, on the other hand, entered the match after defeating Alejandro Tabilo and was the only seeded player still in contention following Taylor Fritz's elimination at the hands of Jordan Thompson.

Draper falls short despite strong grass-swing performance

Paul struck first in the opening set by securing a break in the fourth game. Unfortunately for Paul, he couldn’t maintain the lead and lost his serve in the following game. The scoreline was tied at 3-3 before Paul won 12 of the last 16 points in the set, taking three consecutive games to lead 6-3.

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It was a complete surprise for the local favorite, who won 69% of points on his first serve but only 22% on his second, compared to Paul's 75% on his first serve and 58% on his second. The American was more aggressive with 12 winners against Draper's mere 3.

In the second set, both players were strong on their serves for most of the set. The first break opportunity came in the 10th game for Draper, but Paul managed to navigate through the tough moment. However, in his next service game, with Draper leading 6-5, Paul lost his consistency under pressure and conceded the break, giving Draper the set 7-5.

Jack Draper at Queen's Club.

The third set mirrored the second in terms of serving prowess. The turning point came in the seventh game when Draper faltered under pressure, allowing Paul to secure the decisive break. Despite Draper's efforts to stay close in the following games, Paul showed his class and closed out the match 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in two hours.

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