Paris Masters: Jack Draper upsets Taylor Fritz in tight tussle

Jack Draper defeated Taylor Fritz in the third round of the Paris Masters in a tight match, winning 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-5, earning his fourth top-10 victory of the season. The British No. 1 continues his strong form with seven consecutive wins and 17 victories in his last 20 matches.

The 22-year-old struggled with injuries in his early ATP Tour days, which prevented him from showing his full potential, but now, after several months at a high level, he seems ready to make another leap as he faces Alex De Minaur in the round of 16.

From the beginning, Draper looked slightly stronger than Fritz on serve, as the American struggled with several first-serve misses. The Brit quickly took advantage with a break in the third game. However, he showed some nerves when closing the set, as Fritz broke back when Draper was up 5-4, bringing it back to even.

The set went to a tiebreak, where Draper initially led but wasted a 6-4 advantage, allowing Fritz to level up once again. A final mini-break in Draper's favor secured him the set, though Fritz managed to extend the set by performing well under pressure.

The close first set indicated a competitive second, where the world No. 15 again seemed more dominant. By the fifth game, Draper had won 100% of points on his first serve, while Fritz only managed 61%. Lacking consistent serving efficiency, Fritz had to fight hard to win the sixth game, which included 26 points and saw him face seven break points.

This pivotal moment shifted the momentum, as Fritz then secured a break to love, challenging Draper’s authority on serve. From there, the world No. 6 showed no doubt, comfortably converting his first set point to take it 6-4.

In the third set, neither player managed to gain a clear advantage, with unforced errors prevailing during returns. Draper recorded 11 winners against 16 unforced errors, while Fritz had 7 winners and 10 unforced errors. Draper’s sole break point opportunity at 5-4 proved enough to clinch the match 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4. In the round of 16, he will face 9th seed Alex De Minaur, who recently defeated Miomir Kecmanovic.