Carlos Alcaraz defeated British No. 1 Jack Draper in straight sets to reach the Italian Open semi-finals, dashing Draper’s hopes of breaking into the ATP top five. Despite Draper’s strong start and early break in the first set, Alcaraz maintained composure, saving six of eight break points to seal the win.
Draper, who previously bested Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals, struggled with consistency, squandering critical break opportunities and showing visible fatigue. The defeat follows Draper’s deep run to the Madrid final last week and highlights his ongoing development on clay ahead of Roland-Garros.
Alcaraz, now leading 4-2 in their head-to-head, advances to his first Rome semi-final where he will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, who upset Alexander Zverev. The Spanish star praised his high rhythm and aggressive play for the victory.
Meanwhile, Draper admitted emotional and tactical shortcomings, stating he felt frustrated and too negative during the match. He emphasized the need to improve physically and tactically for future clay-court battles.
In other Italian Open news, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, presenting him with a tennis racket during an off day. Sinner will return to action on Thursday in pursuit of becoming the first Italian man to win in Rome since 1976.
Source: Swifteradio.com
