Bluffing, Draper topples Berrettini and takes the title in Stuttgart!

© AFP

Elio Valotto

le 16/06/2024 à 14h46

2 min to read

Draper Stuttgart

Jack Draper has a lot to smile about. At the age of 22, and after a series of physical setbacks which led him to question his career, he has just won his first title on the ATP circuit. Draper surprised many by winning the title in Stuttgart on Sunday, knocking out Matteo Berrettini.

To win his first title, the British hopeful had to beat the odds twice. First, in the quarter-finals. Faced with Frances Tiafoe, he completely reversed the course of the match, even saving a match point (5-7, 6-4, 7-6). With a quite exceptional match (36 aces, 58 winners, 15 unforced errors), he easily qualified for Sunday's final without stealing a place.

In the final, he faced a true surface specialist: Matteo Berrettini. The Italian, a finalist at Wimbledon, seemed to be on a roll. Making his return to competition this week, he had just given his compatriot and friend Lorenzo Musetti a tennis lesson in the semi-finals (6-4, 6-0).

Despite this, Draper never gave up. He quickly fell behind and dominated the game, but showed admirable fighting spirit. Faced with an opponent who was very much in his element (14 aces, 39 winners, 13 unforced errors), he raised his game to resist. Managing the important points very well, like the break points he saved at 5-5 in the second set, he finally broke Berrettini, who was slightly out of rhythm (3-6, 7-6, 6-4).

With fewer points than his opponent, it was as a great fighter that he prevailed. On the strength of this success, he'll even be able to close the gap on the ATP rankings, as he'll be 31st on Monday (up 9 places).