Jack Draper dismantles Alex de Minaur in straight sets at the US Open

Australia’s top ranked tennis player has been swept off the court in devastating scenes at the US Open on Thursday morning.

Australia’s top ranked tennis player Alex de Minaur has fallen short of reaching his first ever grand slam semi final.

The 10th seeded Aussie went up against Britain’s top ranked player Jack Draper at the US Open on Thursday.

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After taking care of business against fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson, many believed de Minaur was primed for his first ever shot at the final four of a grand slam.

The 25th seeded Draper however had other ideas.

Draper took control of the contest from the outset and never let his higher ranked opponent find his groove as he ran away to secure the 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 victory.

The 22-year-old will now wait to see who his semi-final opponent will be with Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev set to square off in the final quarterfinal contest.

Draper is into the semi finals. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

The victory for Draper puts him through into his maiden grand slam semi final, it also makes him the first British man to make the last four at the US Open since Andy Murray won the title 12 years ago.

The left hander pulled off victory despite taking a medical timeout early in the second set to have his right thigh bandaged.

“It’s amazing. My first time on Arthur Ashe Stadium, it means the world to me,” said Draper, who had lost three times in three meetings with De Minaur.

“I played a solid match and I feel the best fitness-wise that I have felt in a long time.

“Maybe Alex had a little physical issue but he’s an amazing fighter.”

Concerns surrounding de Minaur’s fitness were raised ahead of the contest by Tim Henman on Sky Sports who watched the Aussie struggle during his warm-up session.

Henman noted he wasn’t able to get up on his serve, an issue that became apparent against Draper as he dropped his opening two service games.

The Aussie star was clearly struggling. Credit: US Open/YouTube

At several moments throughout the contest the Aussie was seen reaching for his left hip and glute region, the same area which ultimately saw him withdraw from Wimbledon.

Those moments weren’t lost on fans who were quick to point out the concerning detail that was affecting the Aussie.

ATP handicapper Sean Calvert wrote on X: “De Minaur nowhere near fit there by the look of it. Good stuff from Draper, but he’s now played two injured opponents, a terrible on the day Machac, a VDZ who didn’t take his chances and Diaz Acosta. He’ll be hoping for Sinner/Med to be an epic 5 setter.”

Another added: “You could tell De Minaur was restricted in his movement more issues with the recent hip injury he’s had from Wimbledon back in July but Jack did play some superb tennis.”

De Minaur was clearly struggling during the contest. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

Draper has made the semi-finals without dropping a set as he continued an impressive summer run which saw him capture his first ATP title in Stuttgart and then defeat Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s Club on the eve of Wimbledon.

On Thursday, he demonstrated resilience to take the opening set on a sixth set point.

He exchanged breaks with De Minaur in the second set before gaining the vital edge for a 6-5 lead and then marched to victory on the back of a double break in the third.

Draper was rewarded for his all-out attack, forcing De Minaur to fend off 14 of 20 break points he faced although the Australian appeared to aggravate his recent hip problem at one stage.

Draper sent down 11 aces in his 40 winners.

The British player enjoys a 1-0 lead over Sinner in the pair’s head-to-head although that win at Queen’s came three years ago.

He lost to Medvedev on clay in Rome earlier this year.

Draper was far too good. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The Demon just couldn’t quite fire. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Before the Brit and the Aussie squared off, unseeded Karolina Muchova delivered a bloodbath display as she knocked out Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-4.

Muchova has now reached the semi final stages of the US Open for two straight years and will face either world number one and 2022 champion Iga Swiatek or Jessica Pegula of the United States for a place in Sunday’s final.

Her win came despite having to sprint to the bathroom after edging ahead 2-1 in the second set, a dash which caught everyone on the hop.

“It was weird. I had a problem that I wouldn’t like to comment on,” said the 28-year-old.

“Sorry if I disturbed anybody but I really didn’t have any other choice.”

Muchova has yet to drop a set at the tournament, having knocked out two-time champion Naomi Osaka and French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini on the way to her fourth Grand Slam semi-final.

Muchova is on a roll. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

Muchova suffered a serious wrist injury following her run to the semi-finals in New York last year which kept her off the tour until June.

On Thursday, she saved two break points in the opening game against 22nd seed Haddad Maia before sweeping into a comprehensive 5-0 lead.

Despite handing back a break in the sixth game of the second set, she immediately recovered to lead 4-3.

Haddad Maia, the first Brazilian woman to make the quarter-finals in New York since Maria Bueno in 1968, called for the trainer after feeling ill at 3-5 down.

She won one more game before Muchova served out for victory. Muchova has won one of her three matches against Swiatek and lost to the Pole in the 2023 French Open final.

She was defeated by Pegula on the eve of this year’s US Open in Cincinnati. “I’m happy to be in the semi-finals because I wouldn’t have thought that before the tournament,” said the Czech.

“It will be tough and exciting.”

The unseeded star has caused problems at the Open. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

World number one Sinner is also aiming to reach his first semi final at the US Open when he takes on 2021 champion Medvedev.

Sinner defeated Medvedev from two sets down to win his first major at the Australian Open in January before the mercurial Russian avenged that loss at Wimbledon.

“I will try to think more about Wimbledon than the Australian Open,” said Medvedev, also the 2019 and 2023 runner-up at the US Open.

“Against Jannik, I feel like in a way we know our game, what we will try to bring to the table, and then it comes to always a moment’s deuce, breakpoint, maybe try to surprise him or not, what he will do, what I will do.”

- with AFP

Originally published as Jack Draper dismantles Alex de Minaur in straight sets at the US Open