Jack Draper’s US Open run ended by Andrey Rublev as last Brit left finally falls

Jack Draper ran out of steam in sultry New York to lose his slugfest with Andrey Rublev – and end British interest in the US Open singles. But on the American holiday of Labor Day, Draper made the Russian No 8 seed work for his win.

The British No 5 recovered from losing the first set by saving six break points in the second to level the match – and then led by a break in the third. Yet the relentless rallies took their toll on the 21-year-old who had not completed an ATP Tour-level match since May because of a shoulder injury.

And Rublev deservedly reached his ninth Grand Slam quarter-final – he has never gone further – by winning 6-3 3-6 6-36-3 in two hours and 45 minutes. When left-hander Draper failed to land his big serve, the Monte Carlo Masters champion jumped all over his second serve and he won only 36 per cent of second-serve points.

“Since the first point I was feeling the ball really well,” said Rublev. “Physical wise, I felt I would be a bit more fit because Jack was just coming back from an injury. “In the fourth set you could see Jack was tired and not playing the same way. I was able to add extra speed and finish the match.”

After missing so much tennis this year, Draper has the consolation of returning to world No 105 on the live rankings and the former world No 38 will go much, much higher if he can stay fit. The New York crowd favourite has now reached the US Open in his two appearances here and he has only played in six Grand Slams.

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Draper smashed two forehand winners in Rublev’s opening service game but could not take his break point. And in his second service game, he produced a tweener but tried to serve and volley on a second serve and the Russian produced a brilliant backhand pass to lead 3-1. Draper’s coach urged him to “stay brave” and go for his shots but Rublev closed out the set in 36 minutes.

Temperatures touched 32 degrees at Flushing Meadows but light rain saw the roof of the Louis Armstrong Stadium closed for the match. Despite the heat outside, Draper complained to American umpire Gregory Allensworth: “How f*****g strong is the air con in here? The air con is ridiculously strong.”

He also claimed the net cord machine was not working but it was Rublev who got distracted. Wearing matching orange head and wristbands, the Russian saw red when he failed to break in the third game and slapped a ball into the court in frustration. He only dropped four points on his serve in the second set but lost them all the same game – including two double faults – before he dropped his racquet and held his head in frustration.

Draper drew the match level after 82 minutes with a backhand return winner. But Draper’s lack of match practice began to tell. The players swapped breaks at the start of the third set before Rublev broke from 40-0 down to lead 5-3 when he took only his third of 13 break points. He took third set with an ace.

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Draper changed his kit after the fourth set but not his fortune. He had won his first ever four-set match in the last round against American wildcard Michael Mmoh and his physical conditioning was not going to allow him to go to five.

Visibly flagging, he was broken for the fourth time to love to trail 2-3 after sending down a 99mph first serve. But he saved two match points on his serve at 3-5 – and another in Rublev’s next service game when the Russian left a service return which dropped on the baseline. But the No.8 seed took his fourth match point with his 45th winner.

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