British No. 1 Jack Draper says he is hoping for a “great contest” when he meets his good friend Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday.
After going the distance against Mariano Navone and Thanasi Kokkinakis, Draper again came from two sets to one to see off unseeded Australian Aleksandar Vukic and set up a clash with Spain’s Alcaraz on Friday.
Draper couldn’t separate from his unknown opponent until the deciding tie-break, which he just 6-4 2-6 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8) won at 12:55 p.m..
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Watch highlights from the Australian Open as Jack Draper beat Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic in five sets to face Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round.
Draper barely had the energy to celebrate and, having spent more than 12-and-a-half hours on court in her three matches, must now try to recover for her Grand Slam opener against third seed Alcaraz on Sunday.
Draper was due to spend a week training with Alcaraz in southern Spain in December but was ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
The pair have played three previous meetings and Draper can take confidence from winning their last contest at Queen’s Club last summer, although he doesn’t see it as particularly important.
“Court is obviously a win, but I think he just came off the French Open and relaxed a little,” Draper said.
“I know what to expect from him, he will come out with a lot of energy and obviously he is a special talent.
“I have to be aggressive. I have to take my chances. Against the best players, you get less and less chances to win games and sets and all these kinds of things.
“I have to be brave in my game, but I expect him to come out and know that I’ve played three fives and I know he’s got a fight in his hands. It’s going to be a great contest, for sure I am.”
Draper credits changes in breathing techniques
British No. 1 Draper has credited a change in his breathing technique for improving his physical endurance
Draper has broken down physically in a number of matches, battling cramping several times, while he vomited after his first-round match here last year and during the semifinals of the US Open.
He believes anxiety played a part, but also revealed he used the time he was sidelined with a hamstring injury in pre-season to work on changing his breathing during games.
“In general, I’ve been doing a lot of work. It seems like maybe with my hip I’ve been able to focus on working on a few different things.”
He continued. “I’ve been working with a breathing coach a lot and just trying to understand it a little bit better. So I think that’s really helping.
“I had a lot of problems with my sinuses when I was a kid, so obviously when you’re anxious or when you need to recover quickly, it’s not effective to breathe through your mouth.
“So I’ve been trying to reverse what I’m doing and breathe better through my nose. I think sometimes you don’t realize how tight your body is.
“Especially me because I’ve always been someone who likes to put in a lot of effort and I think sometimes you just have to relax. Especially in tennis, you have to be free to let your muscles do what they need to do. Obviously if all the time you’re tense, you won’t last long.”
The 23-year-old from Sutton admitted his critics were right to question his staying power, but was proud to put those doubts to bed with a stunning success against Vukic.
Asked if he had a message for those who doubt him, Draper was candid, saying: “No, not really.
“That’s the truth. I usually finish after two sets. That’s what I’m aware of, and I should be better at it.
“I still have a long way to go, but this is a big push, the fact that I (can) go three five-set matches. That’s a testament to the work I’ve done and the place. where I am. So I’m very, very proud of it.
“Obviously I don’t feel incredibly fresh right now, but I’ll be back. I’ll do my best to go to another one.”
Can Draper recover for the final test?
Draper will have to play against Alcaraz in the heat of the day
After Vukic’s contest on Friday night, he didn’t leave the court until 1 a.m. and was hoping for another night match against Alcaraz, but instead he is due to play in the heat of the day at Rod Laver Arena, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time.
In worse news for Draper, it’s predicted to be the hottest day of the tournament so far with temperatures in the mid-30s, so it will be a serious test for his already tired body.
Draper, who had never made it past the second round here, played in three of the 13 longest matches of the tournament and spent more than 12 and a half hours on court, more than twice as long as Alcaraz, who dropped just one set;
About how he will try to recover, Draper said: “The main thing is to not think about tennis at all and try to just relax and hopefully the body will be fine. I expect to be really sore.”
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