Queen’s Club Championships: Jack Draper downs Taylor Fritz for maiden top 20 win
British youngster Jack Draper scored the biggest win of his career by beating world number 14 Taylor Fritz at Queen’s Club.
The 20-year-old, back at the scene of his first ATP Tour win, against Jannik Sinner last year, surged past American Fritz 6-3 6-2 to reach the second round of the cinch Championships.
After a hugely impressive display of power hitting, Draper sealed his first win over a top-20 player with a second-serve ace.
His booming forehands complimented a blistering serve that Fritz found no answer for.
Jack Draper, now one of four British men inside the world’s top 100, said: “Thank you all for the support. I enjoyed my time out here
“I think since the start of my career, I haven’t played in front of this many people that often, so the experiences I had last year helped me today. The nerves are still there but I am glad with how I played today.”
Draper overpowered the American with an imperious service game and took advantage of Fritz’s inaccuracy to bolt to victory.
Coming into Queen’s ranked at a career-high World No 99 and in a season where he has won four ATP challenger series titles, Draper has now added an ATP 500 first round win to his twin ATP Masters 1000 opener triumphs in Miami and Madrid.
Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur had earlier continued his strong record at the Queen’s Club Championships when he moved past eighth seed Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4.
The 21st ranked Australian enjoyed a run to the semi-finals in London last term, before capturing his first tour-level grass-court title in Eastbourne. The 23-year-old saved a pair of break points against Opelka to advance after 75 minutes.
De Minaur will next face Monaco finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after the Spaniard downed compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5, 6-4.
Another home hope in Cameron Norrie, took to centre court in London immediately after Draper dispatched the fourth seed.
Norrie came out to face a tough opening round encounter with resurgent Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov while on Court 1 Lorenzo Musetti and Alexander Bublik are locked in combat.
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