Draper reaches Vienna final in straight sets

British fig 1 Jack Draper has reached the Erste Bank Open last by beating Italian Lorenzo Musetti successful consecutive sets successful Vienna.

Seventh effect Draper, 22, broke sixth effect Musetti, besides 22, 5 times successful Austria to triumph 6-2, 6-4 and scope his archetypal ATP 500 final.

Draper has won 1 ATP 250 rubric - the 2024 Stuttgart Open.

"I accidental it is my biggest last yet," Draper said.

"I person been successful 250 finals, Grand Slam semis, evidently a bigger lucifer than tomorrow, but astatine the aforesaid clip to beryllium successful the last of a 500 aft each the enactment I enactment successful this twelvemonth and the play I person had, I americium incredibly grateful."

One quality betwixt ATP 250 and ATP 500 titles is the magnitude of points a subordinate earns for winning a tournament.

Victory implicit Musetti besides moved Draper to satellite fig 15, leapfrogging the Italian who sits successful 16th.

Draper volition play either Australia's Alex de Minaur oregon Russian Karen Khachanov, who play aboriginal connected Saturday, successful Sunday's final.

Musetti struggled aboriginal connected with his forehand shots not objective and it led to 3 breaks of the Italian's service by Draper successful the archetypal set.

Knowing helium needed to triumph the 2nd acceptable to stay successful the semi-final, it was important Musetti held the opening game, which helium did contempt unit from Draper.

But Draper managed to interruption Musetti successful his 2nd work crippled of the 2nd acceptable aft an error-strewn performance. His vexation was wide arsenic helium threw his racket connected the level aboriginal successful the set.

Musetti grew into the lucifer and had 3 interruption points successful the sixth crippled of the 2nd acceptable but Draper was capable to prevention each 3 to hold.

On Draper's adjacent service Musetti had different 5 interruption points and yet the Italian turned the screw to the level the 2nd acceptable 4-4.

However, helium could not compound the awesome interruption with unforced errors gifting Draper - who looked to beryllium struggling - a break, and the Briton served retired the lucifer to unafraid the win.

The brace person played each different doubly antecedently with Draper coming retired the victor connected some occasions.

Draper added: "The archetypal acceptable was truly high-level from my side. Lorenzo is simply a truly pugnacious rival - I person known him since I was truly young and to play against him is ever truthful difficult. He has had an unthinkable season.

"The 2nd acceptable was truly up and down. There was immoderate nerves and hard moments but I americium truly arrogant of the mode I conscionable kept connected fighting."