{"id":298916,"date":"2023-11-11T22:25:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-11T22:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=298916"},"modified":"2023-11-11T22:25:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T22:25:59","slug":"jack-draper-becomes-youngest-briton-to-reach-an-atp-tour-final-in-14-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/tennis\/jack-draper-becomes-youngest-briton-to-reach-an-atp-tour-final-in-14-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack Draper becomes youngest Briton to reach an ATP Tour final in 14 years"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Jack Draper defeated Jan-Lennard Struff at the Sofia Open to become the youngest Briton to reach an ATP Tour final since Andy Murray 14 years ago.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old is really hitting his stride at the end of an injury-plagued season and is chasing a second successive title having picked up the trophy at the second-tier Challenger event in Bergamo last week.<\/p>\n
After knocking out top seed Lorenzo Musetti in the second round in Sofia, Draper did the same to third seed Struff in the last four, winning 6-3 6-4, and is yet to drop a set.<\/p>\n
Murray was already a grand slam finalist when he made the Miami Open showpiece in 2009, but this is a landmark moment for his young compatriot, who had narrowly lost his previous two tour semi-finals.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously I am very proud,\u201d said Draper. \u201cAndy is an amazing player. I hope one day I can do what he\u2019s done in the sport but it\u2019s a long way to go and I\u2019ll keep trying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of his performance, he said: \u201cI didn\u2019t serve as well today but the opponent was putting a lot of pressure on my serve. I think I\u2019ve got to just try and keep the rhythm. It was tough out here with some tense moments. It was a semi-final to get into my first final so I was nervous, but I came through it well.\u201d<\/p>\n