Latest news with #BackTheBrits
Rhyl Journal
36 minutes ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Jack Draper's Queen's hopes dashed by big-serving Jiri Lehecka
Lehecka became the first Czech finalist since Ivan Lendl 35 years ago after a 6-4 4-6 7-5 victory. It was a tough loss for Draper on home soil with the British number one angrily smashing his racket and damaging a digital advertising hoarding as the match slipped away. Jack Draper loses out in a thrilling semi-final at the #HSBCChampionships #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | @QueensTennis — LTA (@the_LTA) June 21, 2025 But it has been a successful week for the 23-year-old, with his run to the last four earning him a top-four seeding at Wimbledon. 'It means a lot,' said Lehecka. 'You don't meet a player like Jack every day, he's an amazing competitor.' One poor service game at the start, punctuated by two aces and a double fault on break point, ultimately cost Draper the first set. He did not get a sniff on the Lehecka serve, with his fellow 23-year-old regularly sending down aces approaching 140mph. In the second Draper began making inroads, a stunning flicked backhand cross-court winner helping bring up his first break points. But Lehecka repelled all four to hold for 2-2, with Draper beginning to cut a frustrated figure on the baseline. With singer Jon Bon Jovi watching from the posh seats, the tension was briefly lifted with a blast of his biggest hit 'Livin' on a Prayer' at the change over. Draper re-emerged in a blaze of glory, an ace sealing a hold to love before a winner down the line levelled the match. Lehecka forced a break point at 4-4 but netted after a long, tense exchange and Draper survived. However, Lehecka was looking the stronger and, after a comfortable hold, snatched the break for 6-5 with a stunning backhand winner. Draper smashed his racket in anger, earning a code violation, before Lehecka finished the job to win in two hours and seven minutes, ensuring Britain's wait for a first Queen's winner since Andy Murray in 2016 goes on.
North Wales Chronicle
21 hours ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Katie Boulter's bid for Nottingham treble ended by American McCartney Kessler
Boulter was gunning for a third successive Nottingham Open crown, having won in 2023 and 2024, but came unstuck against the world number 42 with victory in sight. The British number two was 4-3 up with a break of serve in the final set, but lost the last three games, including her serve twice, to go down 6-3 3-6 6-4. Katie Boulter's sensational run of wins in Nottingham comes to an end #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #LexusNottinghamOpen — LTA (@the_LTA) June 20, 2025 That saw her 12-match winning run on her home court come to an end. American Kessler said: 'It was a really tight match, it was close. I wanted to stay within myself and keep playing my game and luckily I came out on top. 'We are both aggressive players, so there was a lot of shot-making. 'I am trying to get as many titles as I can and put myself in the position to win titles. I am looking forward to the rest of the weekend.' She will play Rebecca Sramkova in Saturday's semi-finals. Dayana Yastremska will play Magda Linette in the other semi-final. Ukrainian Yastremska beat former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 6-3 7-6 (6) in the quarter-final. Linette downed top seed Clara Tauson 6-2 7-5 to book her spot in the last four.
Leader Live
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
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. YEEESSSS!! @jackdraper0 is a semi-finalist at the #HSBCChampionships for the first time ❤️🔥#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | @QueensTennis — LTA (@the_LTA) June 20, 2025 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. 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. 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.'
Leader Live
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Katie Boulter's bid for Nottingham treble ended by American McCartney Kessler
Boulter was gunning for a third successive Nottingham Open crown, having won in 2023 and 2024, but came unstuck against the world number 42 with victory in sight. The British number two was 4-3 up with a break of serve in the final set, but lost the last three games, including her serve twice, to go down 6-3 3-6 6-4. Katie Boulter's sensational run of wins in Nottingham comes to an end #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #LexusNottinghamOpen — LTA (@the_LTA) June 20, 2025 That saw her 12-match winning run on her home court come to an end. American Kessler said: 'It was a really tight match, it was close. I wanted to stay within myself and keep playing my game and luckily I came out on top. 'We are both aggressive players, so there was a lot of shot-making. 'I am trying to get as many titles as I can and put myself in the position to win titles. I am looking forward to the rest of the weekend.' She will play Rebecca Sramkova in Saturday's semi-finals. Dayana Yastremska will play Magda Linette in the other semi-final. Ukrainian Yastremska beat former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 6-3 7-6 (6) in the quarter-final. Linette downed top seed Clara Tauson 6-2 7-5 to book her spot in the last four.
South Wales Guardian
21 hours ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Katie Boulter's bid for Nottingham treble ended by American McCartney Kessler
Boulter was gunning for a third successive Nottingham Open crown, having won in 2023 and 2024, but came unstuck against the world number 42 with victory in sight. The British number two was 4-3 up with a break of serve in the final set, but lost the last three games, including her serve twice, to go down 6-3 3-6 6-4. Katie Boulter's sensational run of wins in Nottingham comes to an end #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #LexusNottinghamOpen — LTA (@the_LTA) June 20, 2025 That saw her 12-match winning run on her home court come to an end. American Kessler said: 'It was a really tight match, it was close. I wanted to stay within myself and keep playing my game and luckily I came out on top. 'We are both aggressive players, so there was a lot of shot-making. 'I am trying to get as many titles as I can and put myself in the position to win titles. I am looking forward to the rest of the weekend.' She will play Linda Noskova or Rebecca Sramkova in Saturday's semi-finals. Dayana Yastremska will play Magda Linette in the other semi-final. Ukrainian Yastremska beat former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 6-3 7-6 (6) in the quarter-final. Linette downed top seed Clara Tauson 6-2 7-5 to book her spot in the last four.
