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Jack Draper booked his spot in the Madrid Open final with a hard-fought 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory against Lorenzo Musetti.<\/b><\/p>\n
The British number one will contest his third ATP final of the year against Norway’s Casper Ruud on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Draper, 23, was broken in the opening set but claimed a double break of his own to come through comfortably.<\/p>\n
It is the first time the 2024 US Open semi-finalist has reached the final of a clay-court event.<\/p>\n
He is the first Englishman to reach the final of the Madrid Open and the second Briton after Scotland’s Andy Murray, who appeared in three finals and won two titles.<\/p>\n
Draper is aiming for his second ATP title of the year after beating Holger Rune at Indian Wells in March.<\/p>\n
“It felt like a key moment every point. The level was high from both of us. I’ve played Lorenzo all through the juniors and it has always been tough but he is a different animal on the clay,” Draper told Sky Sports.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes in the key moments now I think about the pain I go through on a daily basis – all the sacrifices.”<\/p>\n
He has won all four meetings with Musetti as a professional and his perfect record even extends back to their days in the juniors.<\/p>\n
That might have been playing on Musetti’s mind in the opening stages when he dropped his first service game.<\/p>\n
The Italian struck back immediately but was unable to force his way into the first set after a second break as Draper’s forehand once again proved to be a key factor.<\/p>\n
Musetti was much improved in the second set and it made for a more competitive spectacle.<\/p>\n
The Madrid crowd were firmly behind Musetti and chanted his name in the fifth game after a perfectly placed drop shot left Draper scrambling.<\/p>\n
Both players refused to budge on serve – each saving one break point – before heading to a tie-break.<\/p>\n
Again, it proved to be a tense battle but Draper earned a break on the fifth point to steal control and went on to serve out for victory – finishing with an authoritative cross-court backhand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n