Jack Draper fights back to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in Cincinnati Open

British number one Jack Draper staged a remarkable comeback to defeat world number 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas, securing his place in the third round of the Cincinnati Open in Ohio.

Despite needing a medical time-out during his first-round victory over Jaume Munar, Draper seemed to have fully recovered and moved with ease during the early stages of his match against Tsitsipas.

Tsitsipas secured a crucial break to lead 3-1 in the first set. Despite receiving shot-clock violations, the Greek world number 11 managed to fend off a couple of break points from Draper and eventually closed out the opening set.

An electric force ⚡️#CincyTennis | @jackdraper0 pic.twitter.com/7RTOB6ik1n

— Cincinnati Open (@CincyTennis) August 15, 2024

Draper, 22, regrouped for the second set, his serve this time holding up well, before forcing home a break point opportunity in the 10th game following a double-fault by Tsitsipas to level the match.

The British number one, though, was soon under pressure again as Tsitsipas had three break points in the opening game of the deciding set, but Draper recovered for a crucial hold.

Watch Match Highlights 👇🏼

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“Can beat Jannik Sinner one day and lose to f**king Alexei Popyrin the next” – Fans appalled at Andrey Rublev’s ‘pathetic’ loss in Canadian Open final

Andrey Rublev’s attempt to secure his second ATP Masters 1000 title of the season ended in disappointment as he was unexpectedly defeated by Alexei Popyrin in the 2024 Canadian Open final. Rublev’s underwhelming performance in the decisive match has sparked strong criticism from tennis fans, who expected more from the Russian star in such a crucial encounter.

Heading into the final, Andrey Rublev was widely regarded as the favorite to win the Canadian Open, especially after his impressive 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 victory over top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals. However, Alexei Popyrin, contesting his first Masters 1000 final, defied expectations with a relentless and aggressive style of play.

Popyrin secured a stunning 6-2, 6-4 victory, capturing the biggest title of his career. Rublev struggled throughout the match, managing to convert just one of his six break points and allowing Popyrin to break his serve four times. The result left fans shocked and disappointed, as the Russian failed to mount a serious challenge against the rising Australian star.

Tennis fans were dismayed by Andrey Rublev’s underwhelming performance in the Canadian Open final, with many accusing him of effectively gifting the title to Alexei Popyrin.

The sharp contrast between Rublev’s impressive victory over Jannik Sinner and his loss to Popyrin, who was ranked World No. 62, did not go unnoticed. One fan summed up the frustration by commenting,

“Rublev can beat Jannik Sinner one day and then lose to f**king Alexei Popyrin the next.”

“Fair play to Popyrin Superb… Rublev is a disgrace… to put that S**t out in a final is a joke That service game @ 3-3 set 2 was as bad as they come Well done Popyrin for taking advantage of all the charity being given,” another fan posted.

Fans continued to lambast the World No. 6 over his “pathetic” display in the final.

“Rublev losing to Popyrin in straight sets is so beyond pathetic,”

“O. M. G. Andrey Rublev is cooked. Bruh, this was his best results of the year and he couldn’t seal the deal… it’s entirely a mental block and he needs to work on that,” another fan wrote.

“I think Rublev might have legitimately played the worst 1000 final of all time lol,” said yet another.

On the other hand, many fans praised Alexei Popyrin for his well-deserved victory, emphasizing his impressive run to the title. They highlighted that Popyrin defeated three top 10 players—Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz, and Andrey Rublev—to secure his first Masters 1000 title. Fans acknowledged the significance of his achievement, with one commenting,

“Popyrin beat three top 10 players for this title. He is worthy.”

“That was a fully deserved win. Like I love when the ATP is plunged fully into chaos. that’s the fun sh*t. you just marvel at how many lines Alexei’s FH was painting and laugh at how insane it all is. i LOVE this sh*t,” one fan commented.