On the hottest day of this year’s French Open, Jack Draper used the conditions to his advantage as he secured his most impressive victory yet at Roland Garros. A year or so ago, the British No 1 would have have wilted under temperatures that touched 30C in Paris, but even as Draper wrapped ice around his neck and removed his shirt in an effort to cool down during the changeovers, there was no danger of him fading as he raced to a straight-sets win over Joao Fonseca.
Fonseca is a rising star from Brazil, with the 18-year-old carrying an explosive forehand despite his slight build and baby face. But Fonseca was unable to use his exciting weapons and all-court game. Draper was on him from the start, serving superbly and overpowering Fonseca with his heavy top-spin forehand that kicked viciously off the clay.
Draper finished the 6-4 6-2 6-2 win with 32 winners to 20 unforced errors while winning 93 per cent of his first-serve points. Draper’s second serve proved too much for Fonseca to handle, too, with the left-hander’s reverse angles and spin ensuring the Brazilian could not get into his service games. Draper’s victory was as straight-forward as his 6-4 6-0 win against Fonseca at Indian Wells this year. “The first set was really key,” Draper said. “I got on top of him and used my forehand really well.”
Fonseca only had two break-point opportunities in the match and they both came as Draper looked to serve out the second set at 5-4. It could have been a potential turning point, but Fonseca rushed his forehand and Draper saved the second with the ace. “I think today it was maybe a bit of experience,” Draper said. And right now perhaps only Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz are playing as well as him.
Despite Draper not winning a match at the French Open until the start of this week, his game on the clay is getting better with each passing match and the hot conditions appeared to take his serve and forehand to another level.
“My first two rounds I played at night,” Draper explained. “Playing against Gael [Monfils] the other night, I didn’t think I could hit the ball past him. It was so cold and I couldn’t really do much. But today the ball was getting up more and the faster conditions definitely suit me. Either way I will be ready for my next round.”
Either way, the fifth seed is turning into a force and he will play the unpredictable maverick Alexander Bublik on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Cameron Norrie joined Draper in the French Open fourth round after beating fellow British star Jacob Fearnley.
Norrie secured a showdown with Novak Djokovic after a straight-sets win in a surreal match played out to an ear-splitting backdrop of explosions and pyrotechnics.
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The din was down to thousands of Paris Saint-Germain fans gathering for the Champions League final outside the Parc des Princes, which is a stone’s throw from Court Simonne-Mathieu and was showing the game on a big screen.
Fearnley struggled to produce any fireworks as the more experienced Norrie extended his stay in the French capital into the second week.
It will be Norrie’s first appearance at this stage and, with Draper already through, Britain has two men in the fourth round for the first time in French Open history.
Includes reporting from PA
