Sofia Open: Jack Draper turns into youngest Brit to succeed in ATP Tour last since Andy Murray in 2009 | Tennis Information

Britain’s Jack Draper grew to become the youngest Brit in 14 years to succeed in an ATP Tour last after defeating Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 6-4 on the Sofia Open.

At 21 years previous, Draper is the youngest British participant to compete in a last on the lads’s circuit since Andy Murray in 2009.

Lower than every week on from successful an ATP Challenger Tour occasion in Italy, he’ll face Adrian Mannarino within the last on Saturday, after the Frenchman beat Pavel Kotov 6-2 7-6(2) within the different semi-final.

“Clearly I’m very proud. Andy is an incredible participant. I hope sooner or later I can do what he is completed within the sport but it surely’s an extended approach to go and I am going to preserve attempting,” mentioned Draper.

“I did not function nicely right this moment however the opponent was placing lots of stress on my serve. I believe I’ve obtained to only try to preserve the rhythm. It was robust out right here with some tense moments. It was a semi-final to get into my first last so I used to be nervous, however I got here by it nicely.”

Draper solely joined the ATP Tour in 2021 and obtained a wild card for Wimbledon, the place he took the primary set off defending champion Novak Djokovic earlier than occurring to lose in 4 units.

He received his first Challenger occasion in 2022 and broke into the highest 100 on the ATP rankings in June of that yr, earlier than incomes a direct entry into Wimbledon and received his first Grand Slam match.

Later that summer time, Draper beat Stefanos Tsitsipas and reached the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open, the primary time he made the final eight of an ATP 1000 match.

He made the fourth spherical of the US Open after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight units and certified for the NextGen ATP finals – an end-of-season occasion for the highest eight highest-ranked gamers aged 21 or beneath.

Draper made a robust begin to 2023 as he made the Adelaide Worldwide 2 semi-finals after getting the higher of Karen Khachanov however misplaced to Rafael Nadal on the Australian Open.

Since then, it has been a season turmoiled by damage however he got here again for the US Open and made it to the second week of the Grand Slam after victories over Radu Albot, seventeenth seed Hubert Hurkacz and Michael Mmoh.

The Briton kicked on from his run as Flushing Meadows with one other Challenger last look on the Open d’Orleans to get again contained in the world’s high 100. He received his fifth Challenger title on the Trofeo Faip-Perrel in early November.