Andy Murray beaten by Jack Draper in Indian Wells as Carlos Alcaraz assesses last 16 clash
Andy Murray's run at Indian Wells came to an end on Monday night as fellow Briton Jack Draper walked away with a straight-sets win in their Round of 16 clash. Draper will next face a formidable opponent, US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, and the Spaniard has already given his verdict on the match.
The meeting between Murray and Draper was highly anticipated as two generations of British tennis talent came together for the first time. Draper, 21, produced a powerful display and earned an early break to go up 3-1 in the first set.
He finally saw it via a tie-break, but his second-set performance was even more compelling as he took the 7-6 6-2 victory in California. The youngster, who earned a big scalp by knocking down three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, picked up his second straight win over a fellow countryman after beating Dan Evans in the previous round.
"I've looked up to Andy since I was so young," Draper admitted. "I saw him win Wimbledon for the first time in 2013, then I had the opportunity to know him and train with him often since 2019.
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"He's a really special person, a great champion, a great human being and I'm privileged to play against him on this court." On his prospects of continuing to march in Indian Wells, Draper added, "I want to keep trying to impose my game and use my weapons.
"It's not easy in these conditions. It was quite slow tonight, the wind was a bit swirling and obviously playing against Andy, he makes things incredibly awkward for you. That's something I looking to improve with my coach and it's definitely starting to pay off a bit more."
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Draper, currently ranked No. 56 in the world, will now face a heavyweight clash against Alcaraz to fight for a quarter-final spot in Indian Wells. The Briton claimed triumphing over Murray gave him a major psychological boost ahead of his confrontation with the Spaniard.
"Beating Dan and Andy is pretty much the confidence I would need for this game. Carlos is on another level, he was world No. 1, had a stellar year last year ...
Andy Murray's run at Indian Wells came to an end on Monday night as fellow Briton Jack Draper walked away with a straight-sets win in their Round of 16 clash. Draper will next face a formidable opponent, US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, and the Spaniard has already given his verdict on the match.
The meeting between Murray and Draper was highly anticipated as two generations of British tennis talent came together for the first time. Draper, 21, produced a powerful display and earned an early break to go up 3-1 in the first set.
He finally saw it via a tie-break, but his second-set performance was even more compelling as he took the 7-6 6-2 victory in California. The youngster, who earned a big scalp by knocking down three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, picked up his second straight win over a fellow countryman after beating Dan Evans in the previous round.
"I've looked up to Andy since I was so young," Draper admitted. "I saw him win Wimbledon for the first time in 2013, then I had the opportunity to know him and train with him often since 2019.
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"He's a really special person, a great champion, a great human being and I'm privileged to play against him on this court." On his prospects of continuing to march in Indian Wells, Draper added, "I want to keep trying to impose my game and use my weapons.
"It's not easy in these conditions. It was quite slow tonight, the wind was a bit swirling and obviously playing against Andy, he makes things incredibly awkward for you. That's something I looking to improve with my coach and it's definitely starting to pay off a bit more."
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Draper, currently ranked No. 56 in the world, will now face a heavyweight clash against Alcaraz to fight for a quarter-final spot in Indian Wells. The Briton claimed triumphing over Murray gave him a major psychological boost ahead of his confrontation with the Spaniard.
"Beating Dan and Andy is pretty much the confidence I would need for this game. Carlos is on another level, he was world No. 1, had a stellar year last year ...
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