British No. 1 Jack Draper secured a spot in the last 16 of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells with a straight-sets triumph over Jenson Brooksby.
Despite trailing 3-0 in the opening set, Draper mounted an impressive comeback to claim a 7-5, 6-4 victory over the American, who is returning to competition after a lengthy absence. The 22-year-old will now face either Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo or American third seed Taylor Fritz.
Reflecting on his performance, Draper acknowledged the challenge of facing Brooksby after his time away from the game. “I felt confident, but Brooksby makes life difficult for players. I didn’t really know what to expect since he hasn’t played for a while,” Draper told Sky Sports Tennis. “It wasn’t the cleanest performance from me. I have a lot I can improve on and missed plenty of chances, but that’s tennis—you can’t play your best all the time. I’m pleased with how I stayed calm and kept pushing to get the win.”
At one point, frustration got the better of Draper when he slammed his racket down as Brooksby led in the first set. However, he quickly regained composure, winning three consecutive points to turn the match in his favor.
The win continues a strong start to the season for Draper, who reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and finished runner-up in Doha, where he was defeated by Andrey Rublev.
Meanwhile, Jamie Murray made history by becoming the first Briton—and only the second active player—to reach 1,000 career doubles matches. The 39-year-old marked the milestone with a victory alongside partner Adam Pavlasek, defeating Ariel Behar and Robert Galloway in a tie-break set.
Murray, who played his first ATP Tour doubles match with his brother Andy in Nottingham 19 years ago, expressed pride in his career longevity. “It’s something I’m proud of. Playing on the Tour for this long and still competing at a high level means a lot,” he said.
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Source: Swifteradio.com
