Jack Draper was full of praise for Andy Murray after winning their first clash on the ATP Tour.
The 20-year-old defeated the tennis legend 7-6(6), 6-2 to book his spot in the last 16 of the Indian Wells Masters. And in an on-court interview with Amazon Prime Video, the world no. 56 felt "privileged" to have contested a match against the 35-year-old.
"I've looked up to Andy since I was so young,” he gushed. "I watched him win Wimbledon for the first time in 2013 and then I've had the opportunity to get to know him and practise with him often since 2019. He's a really special person, a great champion, great human being and I'm privileged to play against him on this court."
Draper has certainly learnt a lot from Murray which he put to good use throughout their two-hour encounter on court 2 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. He fended off a set point with an ace at 5-6 in the opening set, then won the final four games to seal a famous result, clinching it on a double fault for his third break of the match.
He showed impressive defensive skills to keep Murray at bay and utilised the net impressively, winning 18 of his 26 points when he ventured forward. The result marks Draper’s second straight victory against a fellow Briton in Indian Wells, having beaten Dan Evans in the second round.
"I want to keep on trying to impose my game and use my weapons," Draper said of his ventures into the front-court. "It's not easy in these conditions. It's quite slow tonight, the wind was a bit swirly and obviously playing against Andy, he makes it incredibly awkward for you. It's something I'm looking to improve with my coach and it's definitely starting to pay off a little bit more."
The youngster will now face a player he may cross paths with many times over the next several years - the tournament’s top seed Carlos Alcaraz. Since returning from injury last month, match by match the sport's young superstar is regaining the form that saw capture his first Grand Slam title at last year's US Open.
He defeated Tallon Griekspoor in the third round at Indian Wells to become the second fastest player to register 100 ATP Tour wins, only behind John McEnroe. Guaranteed to regain the number one ranking should he win the title this weekend, the Spaniard is on a mission and is looking to vanquish anyone who stands in his way.
Though wary of the artillery possessed by the teenager, Draper is ready to play his best tennis in what is sure to be an entertaining tussle. "Beating Dan and Andy, that's about as much confidence as I'd need for that (Alcaraz) match,” he added.
"Carlos is another level up, he's been number one in the world, had an exceptional year last year, so it would be amazing to play him again in another real battle."
