Latest news with #Popyrin
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Draper survives scare to reach Queen's q-finals
LONDON: British second seed Jack Draper survived a scare to reach the Queen's Club quarter-finals with a gritty 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) win over Australia's Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday. Draper was rocked by the world number 21 in the first set of the second-round tie at the Wimbledon warm-up event. But the 23-year-old hit back to level the match before taking the final set tie-break to complete his comeback in a tense encounter lasting two hours and 13 minutes in searing heat in west London. Earlier in his career, such a test of endurance would have been too much for Draper, but he believes he is made of sterner stuff these days. 'Before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like broke down quite easy,' Draper said. 'Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself. 'I have felt better and better every Grand Slam I have played.' Draper, who reached the US Open semi-finals last year, is hoping to make a strong run at Wimbledon this year after failing to get past the second round in his previous three appearance. The Londoner has made the last 16 at both the Australian and French Opens this year, rising to sixth in the ATP rankings. If Draper can reach the Queen's semi-finals for the first time after two previous last-eight exits, he will be guaranteed to be seeded fourth at Wimbledon when the grass-court Grand Slam gets underway on June 30. After losing the first set against Popyrin, Draper's powerful ground-stroke dragged him level with a double break in the second set. Popyrin clung on valiantly, saving two match points as he served at 4-5 in the final set. In the tie-break he led 4-2, pushing Draper to the brink of a shock defeat. But the Briton delighted the home crowd as he won five of the last six points, clinching the victory with an ace. Draper will play Brandon Nakashima in the quarter-finals after the American beat Britain's Dan Evans 7-5, 7-6 (7/4). On the day he was awarded a wild card entry into Wimbledon, the 35-year-old Evans was unable to emulate his surprise first-round win against Frances Tiafoe. In Wednesday's other matches, Danish fourth seed Holger Rune fought back to seal a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over American Mackenzie McDonald. Rune, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2023, plays Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard beat Czech eighth seed Jakub Mensik 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. – AFP
Observer
a day ago
- Sport
- Observer
Draper into Queen's Club quarterfinals, Mensik loses
LONDON: British second seed Jack Draper defeated Alexei Popyrin 3-6 6-2 7-6(5) to reach the quarterfinals of the Queen's Club Championships on Wednesday, while Czech eighth seed Jakub Mensik lost his temper during defeat to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut. Draper won their only previous meeting when he beat Popyrin in straight sets earlier this year on his way to reaching the Qatar Open final, but faced a much tougher battle this time and needed the backing of the home crowd to pull him through. "There's days where I need that extra support, today was one of them," Draper said. "Tough match and credit to Alexei, it was a bit up and down but you guys helped me through that so thank you." Draper found himself trailing when the Australian broke to lead 5-4 and served out to win the opening set but the 23-year-old Briton was unfazed and won four consecutive games to take the second set. In the decider Draper held two match points with Popyrin serving, but the Australian rallied to win four unanswered points to make it 5-5. In the tiebreak, Popyrin broke first and Draper responded. The Briton made the decisive break to lead 6-5 and smashed his 10th ace of the match to earn a hard-fought victory. "My family and friends are here and I love being at home and playing in front of them so it's an emotional moment for me honestly," Draper added. Draper will face American Brandon Nakashima after he defeated British wildcard Dan Evans 7-5 7-6(4) to reach back-to-back quarterfinals on grass after his recent run at the Stuttgart Open. "My game suits the grass well so really glad to play well when it mattered today," Nakashima said. Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut serves against Czech Republic's Jakub Mensik. — AFP MENSIK MELTDOWN Mensik crashed out after his 3-6 6-3 7-5 loss to Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage. Mensik won the Miami Open in March, beating Novak Djokovic in the final having defeated Bautista Agut in the first round, but at Queen's the teenager cut a frustrated figure as the 37-year-old Spaniard fought back after going a set down. The Czech 19-year-old was 3-1 down in the second set and after failing to convert a break point he smashed his racket on the ground which then slipped from his hands and flew into the stands, where luckily there were plenty of empty seats. The experienced Bautista Agut now meets Danish fourth seed Holger Rune who stormed back after losing the opening set to beat American qualifier Mackenzie McDonald 2-6 6-1 6-1. The pair delighted the crowd who remained at the Andy Murray Arena for the late match with some dazzling tennis, with Rune at one stage rescuing a lob from McDonald with a through-the-legs shot from the baseline. McDonald broke twice in the first set, with the Dane doing likewise in the second where he also hit 10 aces, and Rune roared into a 4-0 lead in the deciding set to end the American's challenge. — Reuters
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Queen's Club Championship 2025: Draper survives scare to reach quarterfinals
British number one Jack Draper survived a scare to reach the Queen's Club quarterfinals with a gritty 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) win over Australia's Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday. Draper was rocked by the world number 21 in the first set of the second round tie at the Wimbledon warm-up event. But the 23-year-old hit back to level the match before taking the final set tie-break to complete his comeback in a tense encounter lasting two hours and 13 minutes in searing heat in west London. 'It was a tough match, credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis,' Draper said. 'In the first couple of sets it wasn't pretty at all, I need time to adjust to the grass but it's one more under the belt. 'It's an emotional moment. I love playing at home and in front of my friends and family. I think he's gone to the beer tent but my grandad is here! It's an emotional moment.' Draper, who reached the US Open semifinals last year, is hoping to make a strong run at Wimbledon this year after failing to get past the second round in his previous three appearance. The Londoner has made the last 16 at both the Australian and French Opens this year, rising to sixth in the ATP rankings. If Draper can reach the Queen's semifinals for the first time after two previous last eight exits, he will be guaranteed to be seeded fourth at Wimbledon when the grass-court Grand Slam gets underway on June 30. After losing the first set against Popyrin, Draper's powerful ground-stroke dragged him level with a double break in the second set. ALSO READ: Alcaraz-Raducanu, Osaka-Kyrgios, Swiatek-Ruud among entries for US Open mixed doubles tournament Popyrin clung on valiantly, saving two match points as he served at 4-5 in the final set. In the tie-break he led 4-2, pushing Draper to the brink of a shock defeat. But the Briton delighted the home crowd as he won five of the last six points, clinching the victory with an ace. Earlier on Wednesday, Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut beat Czech eighth seed Jakub Mensik 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Fan taken to hospital after getting hit by falling advertising board
Alexander Zverev's hunt for an elusive grasscourt title has begun with a clinical 6-2 6-1 victory over Marcos Giron in a Halle Open first round match during which he also helped an injured spectator. Wednesday's match was interrupted by an advertising hoarding falling on spectators during the opening set. A section of the hoarding came crashing down from the upper tier onto spectators below, forcing the chair umpire to stop play before Zverev immediately procured an ice pack for an elderly woman who'd been injured. The players waited patiently while tournament organisers scrambled to provide medical assistance. Organisers said the 62-year-old did not suffer any major injuries and was able to leave the stadium after the initial shock, but she was taken to hospital as a precaution. Zverev immediately offered assistance. Credit: Sky Sports They added that drumming against the boards may have caused the screws to come loose. 'There has never been anything like this in our 32-year tournament history. We deeply regret the incident,' tournament director Ralf Weber said in a statement. On court, Zverev finished the match with 23 winners in the 79-minute contest where Giron struggled to match the power of the German's first serve and had no answer when his opponent's returns found all corners of the court. World No.3 Zverev, still nursing the disappointment of Sunday's Stuttgart Open final defeat by Taylor Fritz, showed no mercy with the home fans firmly behind the towering second seed who has finished runner-up twice in Halle. 'I hope the lady is OK. Something like that should of course not happen,' Zverev said. 'Of course, I am happy with the way I played. But the most important thing is that everyone here goes home healthy and happy. 'It was a great match for me, I thought it was quite high level. Maybe he wanted to play a bit better than he did, but all in all I felt like I didn't let him play that well, which was important for me.' Earlier, eighth seed Karen Khachanov dispatched Belgium's Zizou Bergs 7-5 6-3 despite a nasty fall on the grass. Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. Alexei Popyrin gave his English opponent a run for his money at Queen's Club before a narrow loss. Credit: AAP But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. 'It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis,' said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. 'It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that,' he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. 'You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy,' he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. 'Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself.' Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8). - AAP
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Popyrin scares Draper but Aussie Queen's hopes are over
Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. "You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy," he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. "Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself." Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8). Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. "You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy," he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. "Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself." Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8). Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. "You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy," he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. "Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself." Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8). Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. "You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy," he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. "Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself." Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8).
