Jack Draper’s impressive run at the Cincinnati Open came to an end in the quarterfinals, as he was defeated in straight sets by the promising Danish player Holger Rune. The British number one, who had shown resilience by overturning deficits in his previous two matches, was unable to replicate his feats against the 15th seed Rune. The match concluded with a 6-4, 6-2 victory for the Dane, marking his progression to the semifinals.
Rune's Performance
Rune, 21, demonstrated clinical precision throughout the match, particularly in capitalizing on the few opportunities that arose. The first set was closely contested, with both players holding serve until the fifth game. It was here that Rune seized the only break point of the set, securing a crucial lead of 3-2. From that point on, Rune's serve proved impenetrable, and he confidently closed out the set at 6-4.
Draper, 22, entered the second set hoping to turn the match around, but Rune quickly extinguished those hopes. The Dane broke Draper's serve early in the set, establishing an early advantage. Despite Draper's efforts, which included creating three break chances, Rune's composure under pressure was evident as he saved all three. Furthermore, Rune then capitalized on another break opportunity in the 11th game, effectively sealing Draper's fate. The Danish player closed out the match authoritatively, securing a place in the semifinals with a 6-2 victory in the second set.
Semifinals in Focus
Rune’s victory over Draper sets up an exciting semifinal clash against American Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe advanced after his opponent, Hubert Hurkacz, retired due to a calf injury following the first set of their quarterfinal match.
In other men’s quarterfinals, top seed Jannik Sinner from Italy avenged his recent loss to Andrey Rublev in Montreal by securing a tight victory of 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Thus, Sinner will now face German Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, after Zverev overcame a challenging match against Ben Shelton, winning 3-6, 7-6, 7-5.
On the women’s side, world number one Iga Swiatek from Poland survived a tough encounter against teenager Mirra Andreeva, eventually prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Swiatek’s next opponent will be third seed Aryna Sabalenka, who easily defeated Liudmila Samsonova with a score of 6-3, 6-3.
In another quarterfinal, hometown favorite Jessica Pegula overcame Canadian Leylah Fernandez in a marathon match, winning 7-5, 6-7, 7-6. Pegula will face Spain's Paula Badosa in the semifinals, after Badosa eliminated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a relatively easy 6-3, 6-2 victory.
As the tournament progresses to the semifinals, fans can expect more thrilling matchups, with both the men's and women's draws featuring a mix of experienced champions and emerging talents.
