Cincinnati Open: Jack Draper rues missed chances as Holger Rune reaches semis

Jack Draper's wait for a maiden Masters semi-final will continue after he was bested by Holger Rune in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open.

The British number one went down 4-6 2-6 to the Scandinavian youngster in one hour and 16 minutes, thus bowing out of the ATP 1000 tournament following a memorable debut run.

Following a second-round success over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Draper was the beneficiary of one of the most controversial match points in recent memory during his third-round battle with Felix Auger-Aliassime, who pleaded with the chair umpire in vain over an apparent double bounce.

Only a day after that dramatic episode, Draper found himself ruing a number of missed opportunities against Rune, who converted all three of his break points while saving each of the three that Draper fashioned.

All three of those chances for the Briton came when he was a break down in the second set, as he stormed into a 40-0 lead on Rune's serve in the sixth game, only for the Dane to fight back with aplomb.

Those missed openings appeared to take a psychological toll on Draper, who lose serve in the following game with a succession of unforced errors before Rune dispatched his first match point, as Draper could only send a backhand return long.

Jack Draper's run at the Cincinnati Open ended in the quarter-finals as he bowed out in straight sets to Holger Rune ❌ pic.twitter.com/88pXXIHgO7

— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) August 18, 2024

"I said after the first round that I would need to get better to go deep and here I am playing some very, very good tennis. It's just about the process and I've been working hard from the first match," Rune said on the court after reaching his first Masters semi-final of the year.

"The scoreboard was not really how it felt out there. I had to play some very aggressive tennis because Jack was going after it, especially in the second set. But I managed to stay tough and raise my level as well, so it was a great match from my side."

Off-colour Draper loses second straight Masters quarter-final

Often renowned for his ability to convert break points when they come, Draper's uncharacteristic lack of ruthlessness complemented a slightly underwhelming serving display, in which he only managed three aces in total.

The 22-year-old has now been beaten in back-to-back Masters quarter-finals, having also lost in the 2022 Canadian Open last eight, but what should be remembered as a stellar debut run in Cincinnati will be marred by the Auger-Aliassime drama.

Nevertheless, Draper's three-set grit and giant killing of Tsitsipas means that he departs with more positives than negatives under his belt ahead of the US Open, which begins on August 26, four days after the draw is made.

Meanwhile, Rune will now face American home favourite Frances Tiafoe for the right to reach the Cincinnati Open final, where either Jannik Sinner or Alexander Zverev will be waiting.

Written by
Ben Knapton