Draper Defeats Cerundolo to Reach Last 16
Jack Draper secured a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Argentine Francisco Cerundolo in the third round at Indian Wells, setting up a last-16 encounter with Novak Djokovic. Draper, who is making a strong return from an arm injury, managed to hold on during a challenging finish to the second set to clinch the win.
This match marks Draper's first meeting with Djokovic since he took the opening set off the defending champion during his previous encounter. At 24 years old, Draper returned to the ATP Tour after an eight-month hiatus, beginning in Dubai last week. His win over Cerundolo represents the first time he has won consecutive matches at the same tournament since Queen’s Club last June.
“I’m only just getting to the point where I’m playing without pain in my arm, so it’s not easy to feel really confident. Obviously I’ve been playing a little bit, but I’ve got to accept that my tennis isn’t going to be completely there for a while.”
Match Details and Challenges
Draper dominated the first set but faced significant pressure towards the end of the second. Cerundolo served to level the match but then dropped serve twice in quick succession, allowing Draper to capitalize and secure the victory. Draper acknowledged the need to elevate his performance for the upcoming match against Djokovic.
Djokovic advanced to the fourth round for the first time since 2017 by narrowly defeating Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
“I’ve been watching him since I was a young boy and in my opinion he’s the greatest player of all time. When you come up against him you know he’s going to be there mentally, you know he’s going to make it an incredibly tough match and play some crazy tennis. I’m going to have to be ready for that.”
Cameron Norrie Also Advances
Fellow Briton Cameron Norrie also progressed to the fourth round with a strong 6-4, 6-4 victory over world No. 6 Alex de Minaur, continuing his impressive run at Indian Wells.
