'Draper Running with the Baton Passed by Murray'



Jack Draper has long been seen as the natural successor to Andy Murray as the king of British tennis.

So, in the first major tournament since the retiring Murray abdicated, it feels apt Draper has enjoyed the best Grand Slam run of his career.

The 22-year-old left-hander has surged into the US Open quarter-finals, becoming the first British man to reach this stage since his idol Murray in 2016.

The baton from Murray had already been passed. Now Draper is starting to run with it.

"To follow in Andy's footsteps, it's a big achievement for me," said world number 25 Draper, who faces Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur or his compatriot Jordan Thompson in the last eight on Wednesday.

"I know that there's still room for improvement and still room to hopefully go further."

The manner in which he brushed aside Czech opponent Tomas Machac - a talented player who many feel has the ability to be ranked higher - in the fourth round on Monday was an indication of his intent.

Draper's performance was described as a "masterclass" by former British number one Tim Henman.

"He has been world class," added Henman, watching courtside in his role as an analyst for Sky Sports. "It is a real statement to the locker room."

In a US Open men's singles where Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz lost early on, and only Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner have previously won major titles, Draper has played himself into the mix.

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