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Jack Draper beats Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu through to Indian Wells last 16

Draper beats Murray, Raducanu through to Indian Wells last 16
© Reuters
Great Britain's Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, who beat Andy Murray in straight sets, book their places in the last 16 of the Indian Wells Masters.

Great Britain's Emma Raducanu faces a true test of her newfound mettle against Iga Swiatek in the last 16 of the Indian Wells Masters following a three-set win over Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Having already eliminated Danka Kovinic and Magda Linette from the tournament despite injury and illness woes, Raducanu recovered from a second-set blip to eliminate the 13th seed 6-1 2-6 6-4.

After storming to a 3-0 lead in the opening set, Raducanu never looked back and quickly earned the double break before bringing up three set points on serve, taking the third of them.

However, more errors began to creep in off Raducanu's racquet in the second set, as the former US Open champion produced four double faults in a noticeable downturn of fortunes on serve.

This time, it was Haddad Maia's turn to earn the early break for a 3-0 lead, and she kept Raducanu at arm's length throughout the remainder of the second set.

The British number one managed to save two set points on serve in the eighth game, but Haddad Maia made no mistake on her third to force a decider, where neither player would give too much away on serve early doors.

Jack Draper in action at the US Open in September 2022© Reuters

After a couple of missed opportunities for both women, Raducanu broke in the seventh game before squandering two match points on Haddad Maia's serve, but the 20-year-old still came through in two hours and 19 minutes to set up a tie with number one seed Swiatek.

"I wanted to step up and be more aggressive and, if I were to lose, then I would lose going for my shots and doing the right things. Last year I would probably get more tentative in those moments, but today and more recently I've been going for my shots more," Raducanu told BBC Sport after her win.

Similarly, Jack Draper will also pit his wits against the number one seed in the men's singles, Carlos Alcaraz, after ending Andy Murray's hopes of ATP 1000 glory during their first competitive meeting.

Draper sealed a 7-6[6] 6-2 win in two hours and three minutes, having initially broken for a 2-1 lead on a Murray double fault, but the three-time Grand Slam winner proved as resilient as ever.

While serving for the first set, Draper was broken to love by the 35-year-old, who then managed to hold for a 6-5 lead in the 11th game despite double-faulting no fewer than three times.

Missing a set point in game 12 proved costly for Murray, as Draper sealed the tie-breaker with an ace and proved the much fresher of the two men as the contest approached its closing stages.

After four holds to start the second set, Draper racked up the winners to take the next four games, confirming his place in the last 16 thanks to Murray's fifth double fault of the day.

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Written by
Ben Knapton

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Emma Raducanu pictured at the Indian Wells Masters on March 9, 2023
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