Jack Draper set up a mouth-watering Italian Open quarter-final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz after defeating flamboyant Frenchman Corentin Moutet to progress in Rome.
Draper was unable to cope with Moutet’s magic in the first set, but he soon composed himself and battled back to claim a 1-6 6-4 6-3 victory on the red clay courts of the Foro Italico.
Draper: I felt like I was on a string
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Draper reflected on a difficult battle with Frenchman Moutet as he reached the quarter-finals in Rome
“Honestly, I was a bit bamboozled at the start, to be honest. I haven’t played someone like that, well, ever, I don’t think,” Draper admitted to Sky Sports Tennis’ Gigi Salmon.
“I felt like I was on a string, like I didn’t know what I was doing. And then I came out in the second set and just fought for every point and found a way in the end to pick up my level and it was a good one to come through. It feels good.
“You don’t know what’s happening shot to shot. You can almost get sucked into his way of playing. I was all over the court.
“At one point, I was looking at the slides that I’ve been doing in one game. I was literally covering the whole court with drop shots. I don’t know what was going on. I’ve got a dizziness from it. Credit to Corentin. He honestly played a great match. To come through that one was amazing.”
Tale of the Tape
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