Jack Draper Advances to ATP 500 Final in Vienna

Jack Draper advanced to the Erste Bank Open final after defeating Italian Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, in Vienna. The seventh seed broke Musetti’s serve five times during the match, marking Draper’s first ATP 500 final. He previously secured an ATP 250 title at the Stuttgart Open in June and expressed excitement about reaching this final, stating, “I suppose it is my biggest final yet.” This year has been a breakout season for Draper, highlighted by his run to the US Open semi-finals in September.

His victory over Musetti will propel him to a career-high ranking within the top 16 for the first time. He acknowledged the significance of this achievement, saying, “I’ve been in 250 finals, Grand Slam semis, obviously a bigger match than tomorrow, but at the same time to be in the final of a 500 after all the work I put in this year, I am incredibly grateful.”

Draper will face unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov in the final, who defeated second seed Alex de Minaur also with a score of 6-2, 6-4. Khachanov ranked world number 24 will be aiming for his eighth ATP singles title and his third of the year, following victories in Qatar and Kazakhstan. In the match against Musetti, Draper capitalized on his opponent’s early struggles breaking serve three times in the first set.

Despite a late challenge from Musetti, who leveled the second set at 4-4, Jack Draper managed to break back and ultimately serve out the match. Reflecting on his performance, Draper remarked, “The first set was really high-level from my side… I am really proud of the way I just kept on fighting.”