JACK DRAPER produced another breath-taking performance to surge into the US Open semi-finals with a “dream” straight-sets win over Alex De Minaur.
The British No1 continues to take New York by storm and a 6-3 7-5 6-2 win in the quarter-final against the world No10 means he has still not lost a set at Flushing Meadows this year.
The victory raises hopes of another British winner of the tournament — three years after Emma Raducanu’s stunning triumph and 12 years after Andy Murray’s first Grand Slam win.
He is also the first British man to reach the US Open semi-finals since 2012 when Murray claimed the title.
Draper, 22, who had treatment on his hamstring at the beginning of the second set, will meet either world number one Jannik Sinner or 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, who were playing overnight.
After reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final, the Sutton star said: “It’s amazing. To be out here, my first match on the biggest court in the world is a dream come true. The support means the world.”
For De Minaur, whose girlfriend is British No1 Katie Boulter, it is another quarter-final loss at a Grand Slam after appearing to struggle with injury throughout.
The Aussie had beaten Draper in all three of their previous meetings.
And Draper, seeded 25, added: “I played a solid match and feel the best fitness-wise in a long time.
“That’s where Alex got me in the past. He was struggling with something but he’s an amazing fighter and we’ll have many more battles to come.”
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It would not be considered as big a shock if Draper were to win two more matches and lift the title, but the manner of his victories to this point, having won 15 straight sets, is similar to the journey to glory of fellow Brit Raducanu three years ago.
He has taken advantage of Carlos Alcaraz‘s early exit – the Spaniard was his slated opponent in the third round before crashing out – and swept aside all others that have come before him.
His toughest test yet will be against Sinner or Medvedev but Draper is very much in the conversation after his breakthrough Grand Slam.
Tim Henman, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2004, said: “Incredible performance, Jack deserves so much credit.
“He had some difficult moments in the second set but he stuck to the task, executed the game plan and it’s a fifth straight-sets victory.”
There will be an American in the men’s final of the US Open for the first time since 2006 after Frances Tiafoe set up a blockbuster semi-final against Taylor Fritz.
Hours after Fritz disposed of fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final, Tiafoe followed suit by beating an injured Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-3 4-1.
It was not the way Tiafoe would have wanted to win as 34-year-old Dimitrov sustained an injury at the end of the third set.
He was barely able to move in the fourth set before he had to retire.
