Jack Draper clinches important Wimbledon seeding by reaching Queen's semi-finals

The British number one battled past American Brandon Nakashima 6-4 5-7 6-4 on the Andy Murray Arena.
Draper is now two wins away from becoming only the second home men's singles winner in the Open era – after the man the court is named in honour of.
But more importantly, Draper has moved above Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz in the world rankings to a career-high of four.
That means at Wimbledon, the 23-year-old can avoid Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the world numbers one and two respectively, until the semi-finals.
'I've got to get to the semis first,' he smiled. 'But last year I went there ranked 40th and now I'm fourth. To get to that position is an incredible feeling. It is testament to the work me and my team have done and I'm proud of that.'
In a hard-fought first set Draper saved six break points as Nakashima tried to haul back an early break.
Draper then made hard work of taking the opener, finally getting the job done on his sixth set point.
Brandon Nakashima pushed Draper all the way (Ben Whitley/PA)
In the second set Nakashima eventually converted one of his chances when Draper sent a tired-looking forehand long to take the match the distance.
At 3-3 in the decider Draper brought up two breaks points and thought he had made the first with a backhand out wide, but the crowd's cheers had drowned out the automatic line call.
However, he thudded the second out of Nakashima's reach, saved two break points as he served for the match and wrapped up another hard-fought win in two hours and 22 minutes.
'It means the world to me, the support I've received this week has been amazing,' added Draper after becoming Britain's first semi-finalist since Cameron Norrie in 2021.
'At times I've not played great tennis but I've tried to believe in myself.'
In the semi-finals Draper will face Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka, who ended Jacob Fearnley's promising debut run.
Jacob Fearnley's run at Queen's is over (Ben Whitley/PA)
The British number two looked heavy-legged in an error-strewn 7-5 6-2 defeat.
Fearnley was scheduled to play the opening match despite a gruelling three-setter against Corentin Moutet the day before, followed by a win in the doubles – alongside Norrie – over Lehecka and Taylor Fritz.
'Obviously if I'd known I was going to be put on first the day after playing a long match in 32 degrees and playing another doubles match late at night, then I probably wouldn't have played doubles,' he said.
'It's just difficult to predict those things sometimes. It's just about being smart about it, really.'

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Scotsman

an hour ago

• Scotsman

The Machrie making its mark both on and off the course

Islay course redesigned by DJ Russell as Another Place take over management of resort Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was DJ Russell, the man who redesigned the course, who sparked this golf lover's desire to jump on the ferry one day to Islay and find out exactly why The Machrie is clearly somewhere that holds a special place in his heart. A decade or more later than should have been the case, I hasten to add, it finally happened and, as I was excited to let DJ know when bumping into him recently in the company of his great friend Ian Woosnam, he certainly wasn't building it up without reason to do so. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What a place and, with the boutique hotel group, Another Place, now managing the hotel and golf course close to Port Ellen, one of two ferry ports, and also the island's airport, exciting times - both on and off the course - look to be lying ahead. The Machrie, where the course was redesigned by DJ Russell, nestles in a terrific spot beside Laggan Bay on the Isle of Islay | The Machrie 'I was brought in to tweak the golf course in 2013,' said Russell of his handiwork at a venue that was founded in 1891, with the original layout being officially opened with a match between Willie Campbell, the designer, and the 1883 Open champion, Willie Fernie. 'But it soon became clear that we could do something really special,' added the two-time European Tour winner who has made East Lothian his home. 'We gradually pieced together how to put 18 quality golf holes along the original layout. 'It's a real links experience with wonderful dunes, dramatic changes in elevation, and the ever-changing Islay weather. It's links golf as it used to be where the ball is played much closer to the ground than the modern game demands.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Don't be fooled by any impression on the first tee. 'I don't know if underwhelming is the right word,' said Alan Martin, an Eyemouth man who has found himself totally on the opposite side of the country after taking up the role as the hotel's golf general manager just under a year ago, 'but there is certainly a sense of mystique almost.' Not for long because, once you get to the top of the hill halfway down the fairway, the character of the course and its stunning location on the east side of Laggan Bay are right in front of you. Then, by the second green, you are right on the beach. 'When you drive in, it's hard to believe that behind the hotel and clubhouse there is going to be this incredible links land,' admits Russell. 'I'm very proud that people are blown away by what they see. There are not many golf courses that have the same aura. It's a very special place.' Alan Martin has been in the role of golf general manager at The Machrie for just under a year and is excited about its future with the resort now being managed by Another Place | The Machrie Particularly, it has to be said, when you are standing on the tee at the ninth, a cracker of a short hole that plays towards the sea, but, in truth, every single hole has been designed to be memorable and visitors from all around the world are enjoying the challenge the course provides. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is very mixed,' said Martin, who started his career as a PGA trainee professional at Dunbar and also had a spell at The Duke's in St Andrews before heading out to Asia, where, most recently, he was consulting as part of a team on a new golf project in Hong Kong, of where the visitors come from. 'There's no one market we are relying on. Obviously the tour operators do a vital role in selling it and getting people here. But I think our job is to go beyond that and get the customer going to the tour operator and saying 'can you get us to The Machrie?'. 'The exciting bit is there is room for more. I think if we can improve the small touch points like a starter's hut and a Halfway House while we have a few buggies coming with GPS just to satisfy the American market, all that would add to what we have.' At this year's Scottish Golf Tourism Awards, The Machrie picked up the prize for the 'Best Course £100-£250', recognition which the new management team hope will help it grow in terms of being on the map. 'Getting the message about The Machrie out there is one part of it because, when people do come here, I think it exceeds expectations,' observed Martin, who was thinking about heading back to Asia until being lured to Islay when he heard what was being planned for The Machrie under the Another Place banner. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Part of that is maybe the unknown as they don't know what they are coming to. Despite what you may have heard, you are still unsure. But then when you see it with your own eyes, it is a special property and a special golf course.' The Machrie has 43 bedrooms and is providing valuable jobs for the local community | The Machrie Add in a six-hole par-3 course, a covered driving range and a mega-fun 19-hole putting green called 'The Hebrides' and The Race to Machrie, an end-of-season event for some of Scotland's top juniors run by the Stephen Gallacher Foundation is probably not going to be the only event its hosts going forward. 'If we can get some form of professional event with TV coverage, I think the golf course would look awesome on TV,' declared Martin and he's absolutely right about that. 'The course can also play to just over 7,000 yards off the back tees, though it looks a lot further than that!' Both the course and the 43-bedroom hotel are providing valuable local jobs on an island where whisky, of course, is the main attraction with no less than ten distilleries with three more imminent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We have a couple of local school-leavers who have joined the team as apprentice greenkeepers, so that is definitely part of the strategy,' said Martin. 'We also have a young lad, Jack Shaw, in golf operations who is going to go off to uni to study professional golf. We want to generate golfers and plan to bring in a full-time teaching pro who would work with the Islay Golf Club volunteers at coaching sessions. But we also want to generate future employees and get people into a career in golf.'

Belfast Telegraph

an hour ago

• Belfast Telegraph

British and Irish Lions: The greatest ever Ulster players to have represented the famous tourists

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Daily Record

2 hours ago

• Daily Record

I was locked in Rangers dressing room by police as fan protests erupted but takeover has ended outside noise

The American takeover at Ibrox has brought renewed hope to the Rangers fanbase and former keeper Bell hopes the united front can lead them back to glory. Cammy Bell was part of a Rangers side locked in the home dressing room at Ibrox by POLICE as seething supporters stormed the stadium. And this after another win. He can laugh at the absurdity of it all now. But over a decade ago - with the boardroom merry-go-round in full flight and furious punters desperate to get up the marble staircase and confront the protagonists themselves - he admits it got frightening as chaos became the norm. ‌ That was during a 12-month spell that saw three different chairmen hold position and four figures pass the chief executive role between them before Dave King 's revolution brought a sense of order to proceedings. ‌ Things might not have reached that stage last season but fan unrest was back during a campaign riddled with turmoil on and off the pitch. Now, a generation on from those fraught times that saw the law called in to keep the players safe, Bell hopes the US revolution off the pitch can bring a sense of freedom on it. Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers' takeover has brought back belief to a fanbase racked with doubt and distrust. And former goalkeeper Bell insists maintaining that unity is key because animosity will always filter down to the players - just like it did 12 years ago. Bell said: 'I remember the front doors getting stormed and the police had to lock us in the changing room. 'That was at a point when some fans were so unhappy about the board they were trying to get up the stairs to the directors. ‌ 'Which, when you look back now, was absolutely crazy! Was it frightening? Yeah. We were sitting in the changing room, which goes right along the front of the stadium, so we could hear the noise. 'The windows were open so you could hear the frustration from the fans. 'There is no way that any players can say it doesn't affect them, or they don't know what's going on. They absolutely know what's going on. ‌ 'It would have been the season we were in League One because Ally McCoist was still manager. 'We won the game. It was nothing to do with the team or the players - it was just sheer unrest about the way the club was bring run. 'As a player, you do notice these things and whether that takes half a percent away from your focus on your football, it's not good. ‌ 'Animosity against the board is not good for the players because it can completely throw their routines. 'Even simple things like getting out of the stadium, you are holding back a few hours because the police have to disperse the crowds. 'And it's difficult when you're thinking about bringing your kids to the game. ‌ 'It can be a home game, yet you are still having to think about whether they are going to feel safe in the stadium. 'It was hard. I understood there was a lot of things that were going on that probably shouldn't have happened but did. ‌ 'It's one of those ones that you look back and think, 'did that happen?' 'And it certainly did. You got used to it because so much went on. I remember the chief executive was changing three, four times within a year and thinking, 'what's going on here?' 'That's not a normal business. That's not how a business works, a stable business anyway. ‌ 'The administration rumour was getting thrown about when I was there and you're thinking, 'we've just moved on from that, is it happening again?' 'There were a lot of rumours back then and a lot of things that kind of happened that took your focus away a little bit. 'So just having everyone on the same page, everyone really looking forward to it, being positive about the club is great. ‌ 'That's not been there for a long, long time now. I was at the St Johnstone game last season where the demonstration took place, fans walking out. That's not ideal as a player. 'When you're playing and you know these things are happening. Your focus should 100 per cent be on the football pitch but sometimes these outside noises play a little bit of a part. 'The atmosphere changes. So yeah, I think the new ownership will be positive.' ‌ Bell is excited to see where Rangers go under the new regime. While the club will be steered by Americans Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe as chairman and vice-chairman, its the football side being run by newly-installed head coach Russell Martin and director of football Kevin Thelwell which will dictate the fans' mood over the coming months. As always, recruitment will be key. Bell said: 'It was vitally important they got this deal done. 'They needed fresh investment. They needed fresh ideas and I'm really excited about seeing where the club go with the new ownership, the new structure. ‌ 'It's going to take time. The structure will grow. It's already kind of gone in place with the director of football coming in, new head coach coming in. 'The recruitment department will grow. We know the recruitment's not been good enough over the last number of years and that's vital. It makes or breaks a football team, the recruitment. 'We need to give the new ownership time. They've worked hard already. You can see that they're working hard behind the scenes. And there'll be a lot of changes over the next two months. ‌ 'They need to find a new model of how they bring players in and how the club goes forward as well.' Bell reckons Martin will want up to six new signings ready for his starting XI over the course of the summer. And he says gelling the new-look squad quickly into Martin's renowned possession-based system will be the biggest test. ‌ Rangers return from their summer holidays for pre-season training tomorrow. And from the moment they report at Auchenhowie the clock will be ticking on the Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos exactly a month later. Bell said: 'It's a difficult period to play these big, big games because it is pre-season. So it's so important for Russell Martin. 'He's got four weeks to prepare his players and get them ready because he needs to get off to a good start. ‌ 'We all know there's been question marks about his appointment. 'But for me, all the Rangers fans and everybody at the club will be behind him and trying to make sure they can be successful. 'I expect there'll be five, six potential starters that come into the club. So it's about gelling them, getting them prepared. ‌ 'Hopefully the excitement of joining the club shows because you get that first sort of excitement of joining such a big club like Rangers and you get that little boost and adrenaline rush. 'So yes, you're hoping that gets them over the line. But it's not an ideal scenario. 'It's a short period of time, it's always is a short period of time. The real obstacle this time is that it's a new manager, a new philosophy, a new identity, way of playing. ‌ 'To integrate that and make sure that's clicking for probably their biggest game of the season is really difficult.' Bell reckons much of the work over the next four weeks will be geared around getting players comfortable with Martin's style. He said: 'They've given the players a decent amount of rest, so they should be raring to go. Nowadays, players come back in really good shape. ‌ 'So Russell Martin's training will be all geared around how they play and how they win games of football. 'I'm pretty sure he'll reflect back on teams he's been at and showing the players the style that he wants to play. 'It's getting on that pitch, getting on the field. ‌ 'All his training is geared towards playing in tight areas, being comfortable when you're uncomfortable in possession. 'That can't be replicated with regards to the fans and the way that you'll feel. 'They'll feel nervousness taking the ball on the 18-yard box with somebody closing them down. 'It'll take time for the Rangers fans to understand the style of play. I think it did for us under Mark Warburton as well. There was a lot of nervy moments when we passed the ball about the back. 'But it was just the style of play. So I think getting on the pitch is the most important thing for Russell Martin.' * Cammy Bell was speaking as he helped launch the Refugee World Cup Scotland tournament, on Sunday, June 29, at Toryglen Regional Football Centre.