Jack Draper marched into the Madrid Open final with another statement straight-sets win over Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
The British No.1 battled past 10th seed Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4) and will face Norway’s Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final as he bids for a second Masters title in two months.
Reaching a first career ATP final on clay – considered Draper’s weakest surface – also provides the 23-year-old with a massive fillip with the French Open just over three weeks away.
Should he add the Madrid title to the Indian Wells crown he won in March, Draper – who has already leapfrogged Novak Djokovic into the world’s top five – would be only 25 ranking points behind American world number four Taylor Fritz.
Musetti considers clay his best surface and reached the Monte Carlo final just last month, pushing Carlos Alcaraz to three sets.
But two breaks of serve to Musetti’s one swayed a high-quality first set in Draper’s favour, with the man from Surrey squandering two set points before converting a third.
Musetti, another rising star who is three months Draper’s junior, stepped up his level in the second with some stunning shot-making while his opponent began to look heavy-legged.
But a couple of big holds kept Draper in the set, and in the tie-break a solitary mini-break and a backhand winner wrapped up another impressive victory.
Draper, who has yet to drop a set in Madrid, told Sky Sports: “Every moment felt like a key point. I’ve played Lorenzo since juniors but he’s a different animal on clay.
“I was trying to stay present. I had chances. I thought I did a great job, especially at the end changing tactics, serve-volleying a bit more.
“Sometimes in these moments I’m thinking about all the pain I go through on a daily basis, all the sacrifices, and try to remember why I do it, to go for it.
“The final will be a really big challenge. But I’m ready.”
Ruud, who’s recent form has seen him drop out of the top 10, beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-4 7-5.
