Mutua Madrid Open 2025: Jack Draper defeats Tommy Paul to reach quarter-finals
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Jack Draper is into the quarter-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open after securing a dominant win over world No.12 Tommy Paul.
The British No.1 defeated Paul 6-2, 6-2 in an hour and 10 minutes to book his place to the final eight where he’s set to take on Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi on Thursday 1 May.
This victory marked a significant breakthrough for Draper on the clay who has now moved into his first Masters 1000 quarter-final on the surface.
Speaking on finding his clay court form in the Spanish capital, Draper said, “I think at this level, it’s all about momentum and confidence. On this surface, it’s all about more matches, more time, more time competing against the best players in the world. I felt really good out there today, I knew Tommy (Paul) was a good player and I needed to be on him from the off.
“I think probably for the players from the UK or those who don’t play on the surface often, they go into it with the mindset that they’re not going to be that great on it and that can prevent them from going further."
“Last year I took a few early losses in the rounds, and I was really gone with it because I know I can play well on the surface and this year it’s been a big goal of mine to prove that I can play really well and I know if I want to be a top player then I have to.
“By winning a few more tournaments and putting myself near the top of the game, I feel like I belong and feel confident.”
Draper got off to a fast start against the American, breaking him to 15 in the third game before late going on to secure a second to take the opening set.
Despite the windy conditions in Madrid throwing up some difficulties, it was Draper who coped the better of the two players, with Paul coughing up 31 unforced errors across the match.
The British No.1 looked to get on top of the reigning HSBC Championships winner from the get-go and maintained his level throughout the second set. At 3-2, the world No.6 raced out to a 40-0 lead on the Paul serve but needed just one opportunity to gain the advantage and take full control of the match.
While he continued to pile the pressure on Paul, Draper remained sturdy in his own service games – avoiding any break point threats throughout the match as he eventually closed out victory with another thunderous forehand winner.
How to watch Jack Draper vs Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open 2025
You can watch Draper’s quarter-final match at the Madrid Open 2025 against Arnaldi live and exclusively on Sky Sports Tennis and Now TV.
