Jack Draper advanced to the Madrid Open final with a gritty 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, becoming the first Englishman to reach the final of the tournament.

The 23-year-old British No. 1 overcame an early break to take control of the opening set with two breaks of his own, before edging a tense second set in a tie-break. He will face Norway’s Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final — his third ATP final of the season and his first on clay.

Draper, a US Open semi-finalist in 2024, is chasing his second ATP title this year after winning at Indian Wells in March.

“I've played Lorenzo since juniors, and it’s always tough,” Draper told Sky Sports. “He’s a different animal on clay. Every point felt crucial.”

Despite the straight-sets scoreline, Musetti pushed Draper hard in the second set, drawing vocal support from the Madrid crowd with some deft shot-making. Both players held firm on serve, each saving one break point before the tie-break.

Draper seized momentum by earning a mini-break on the fifth point of the breaker and sealed victory with a powerful cross-court backhand.

The win extends Draper’s perfect head-to-head record against Musetti to 4-0 at the professional level, a run that also echoes his dominance in their junior encounters.

Draper follows in the footsteps of Scotland’s Andy Murray — a three-time Madrid finalist and two-time champion — as the only Britons to reach the final in the Spanish capital.

Source: BBC 

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