Ten years after an 11-year-old Jack Draper watched Andy Murray win the 2013 Wimbledon title from the Centre Court stands, the fast-rising British star will meet his idol-turned-friend for the primary time on the ATP Tour Monday on the BNP Paribas Open.
Now 21, Draper has praised the three-time Grand Slam champion from the primary time the media’s cameras and microphones had been skilled on him — a routine he’s turning into accustomed to as he soars up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, breaking into the Top 40 for the primary time earlier this 12 months after reaching the Adelaide semi-finals.
Murray has returned the favour, most lately on Saturday: “I think he’s going to be a top, top player for a long time,” predicted the Scot, who has confirmed to have a eager eye for recognizing world-class expertise. Ahead of the 2022 US Open, the place Draper reached the third spherical for his greatest Grand Slam consequence, Murray mentioned the 6-foot-4 lefty’s well-rounded recreation, giving specific credit score to his return and motion at his dimension.
Speaking with ATPTour.com and members of the British press following his 6-4, 6-2 win in opposition to countryman Daniel Evans on Saturday in Indian Wells, Draper defined his historical past with Murray and the way their relationship has advanced.
“I’ve sort of had two stages with Andy,” he defined. “[The first was] after I was youthful, watching him win Wimbledon for the primary time on Centre Court. It was inspiring. I needed to be like him, somebody that I used to be wanting as much as on a regular basis… a bit starstruck after I noticed him just a few instances at first.
“And then during lockdown I became a better player and I was able to practise with him more. From there, we’ve practised together loads. I’d like to say he’s a good friend and, again, still someone that I look up to and someone that I receive advice from all the time. I think he just tells me to enjoy the journey a little bit. I think that’s what he’s doing now, he’s enjoying his time on court a little more than he did. He’s an amazing champion and a very good human being as well.”
Draper could have had the proper preparation for his third-round matchup with Murray in his win in opposition to Evans, throughout which he felt nerves and numb legs at instances because of the pair’s shut relationship. The Briton holds a 2-2 tour-level report in opposition to British opponents, together with a win in opposition to Ryan Peniston and two defeats to Cameron Norrie.
“He’s obviously someone that I have a lot of banter with and he’s a friend,” Draper mentioned of Evans. “It’s never nice competing against someone that you spend a lot of time with. But I guess that’s part of tennis. You’ve got to be able to play your compatriots and I thought I did a good job and I generally enjoyed the battle as well.”
Draper frolicked with Evans and Norrie final month when he was named to the Great Britain Davis Cup staff for the primary time, although he didn’t compete in his nation’s 3-1 win in opposition to Colombia. After beating Evans in Indian Wells, Draper is wanting ahead to seeing one other pleasant face throughout the web when he performs Murray — who famously led Great Britain to its tenth Davis Cup title in 2015, successful all 11 rubbers he performed.
Marathon Man Murray Wins Quickly To Set Draper Clash At Indian Wells
“In all honestly I’d love to play Andy,” Draper mentioned, earlier than the 35-year-old closed out a 6-4, 6-3 win in opposition to Radu Albot. “I believe enjoying him on one of many largest levels in tennis, it is one thing that I’ll be wanting ahead to, particularly after at the moment.
“Let’s make it another British affair. I think he’d be incredibly tough to beat, as usual, but it’s something that I’m looking forward to if I get to play him.”
While Draper is making his Indian Wells debut — “It’s a tournament I’ve been watching since I was really young. It’s fulfilled all my expectations of how good it would be,” he mentioned — Murray is competing within the desert for the fifteenth time, his greatest consequence a ultimate run in 2009 (l. to Nadal). Before the occasion, 46-time-time tour-level champ Murray singled out the BNP Paribas Open trophy because the one he most covets amongst these he has but to win. On the other finish of his profession, Draper is looking for his first ATP Tour title this week.
Ahead of one of many largest matches of his younger tennis life, Draper can take some consolation from his many hitting classes with Murray, in addition to the pair’s matchup on the Battle of the Brits final December, an exhibition match performed in Aberdeen. Murray gained that match by the slimmest of margins in a Match Tie-break, after which the pair shared a heat embrace.
“I kind of felt like it was good to play Andy in a couple of sets,” Draper mirrored. “But for one factor, it was an exhibition, that match. And additionally on the similar time, we would simply come off the again off preseason, so we had been each fairly drained from placing a whole lot of work in.
“But I expect the match on Monday to be an extremely tricky one. He’s come through a lot of matches recently, he’s playing with confidence and I think his body’s in a really good place as well at the moment.”
Murray has gained all seven deciding units he is performed this season, saving a mountain of match factors alongside the best way. He notched his first straight-sets win of the 12 months in opposition to Albot.
Adding only a bit of additional spice to Monday’s marquee matchup: The winner will finish the day forward of the opposite within the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, simply outdoors the Top 40.
Did You Know?
Late final 12 months, Draper hit with YouTube star and aspiring professional Felix Mischker, who’s chronicling his journey to his first Pepperstone ATP Rankings level on his channel. Mischker documented their session in a YouTube video that has 159,000 views and counting.
“I found out I was hitting with him and then he asked if he could film the session. It was really good to get to know him a little bit more,” Draper mentioned of the 19-year-old Briton.
“He’s obtained clearly the channel on YouTube which I believe is absolutely good. That exhibits tennis in a little bit of a special means. A whole lot of instances you see tennis from the best echelons. But on the similar time, folks generally do not actually respect the journey of an aspiring professional and what that is like. It’s actually tough, financially, working day in day trip, enjoying the Futures.
“It’s not all strawberries and cream; it’s really difficult out there. I think it shows it a little bit from that perspective and I think he does a really good job of shining a light on that aspect and I think he’s a really popular kid on there. It was good to play with him and he’s a really nice guy.”
Source web site: www.atptour.com
