DRAPER 6-3 4-3 DE MINAUR
‘Well done, so sharp,’ is the shout from his coach James Trotman as Draper follows up great counter punching depth with a surge forward to rush an error with a jabbed backhand.
It lights the way to triple break point, but de Minaur lands a wide ace and finds his serve to reach the sanctuary of deuce.
A lightning bolt of a forehand then licks the baseline to clock up a fourth opportunity but it’s that wing that lets him down from the mid-court on a fifth chance.
The Aussie No.1 is far from convincing as he wobbles away at deuce, but eventually he escapes when another howitzer of a forehand from the Brit flies off the island.
Jack takes charge with a couple of un-returnables and then steps in on a wide delivery to flick away a simple backhand crosscourt winner to lead 40-15.
The Brit just misses a crosscourt forehand and is then pushed to deuce when Alex shows serious wheels to drill a backhand pass down the line.
Draper turns to the drop shot and jabs away a backhand pass down the line, but a poor dropper allows De Minaur to stay in the hunt.
The No.25 seed feels the heat and nets a tame backhand, but somehow fends off break point with a devilish forehand crosscourt pass.
The first serve suddenly revives from there and a couple of clutch serves help him dodge the danger.
https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/us-open-men/2024/live-jack-draper-alex-de-minaur_mtc1497297/live-commentary.shtml