Jack Draper suffers semi-final defeat at Queen’s Membership Championship in opposition to Jiri Lehecka | Tennis Information

Jack Draper failed to achieve the Queen’s Membership Championship ultimate after a irritating three-set defeat to Jiri Lehecka.

The British No 1 had already assured himself fourth-seed standing at Wimbledon attributable to his progress within the match, however he was denied a possible showdown with Carlos Alcaraz after shedding 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to Lehecka.

Alcaraz will face fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in an try and make the ultimate at Queens following his profitable stint on the French Open.

One poor service recreation initially, punctuated by two aces and a double fault on break level, finally price Draper the primary set.

He didn’t get a sniff on the Lehecka serve, together with his fellow 23-year-old recurrently sending down aces approaching 140mph.

Within the second Draper started making inroads, a shocking flicked backhand cross-court winner serving to convey up his first break factors.

Quickly, Lehecka discovered himself three break factors down early within the second set, irritating Draper who had 4 possibilities to interrupt for a lead.

The second set continued to be a nervy affair with each failing to capitalise on their possibilities to interrupt.

Draper re-emerged with the bit between his tooth, an ace sealing a maintain to like earlier than a winner down the road levelled the match.

However he was damaged by Lehecka within the closing phases of the third, shattering an promoting hoarding together with his racket in anger, and the Czech participant closed out victory on his serve.

Lehecka ensured Britain’s watch for a primary Queen’s winner since Andy Murray in 2016 goes on, nevertheless in doing so he sealed his spot as the primary Czech finalist since Ivan Lendl 35 years in the past.

“It means rather a lot,” mentioned Lehecka. “You do not meet a participant like Jack every single day, he is a tremendous competitor.”

Within the doubles, all-British pairing Jacob Fearnley and Cameron Norrie had been overwhelmed by Croatia’s Nikola Mektic and New Zealand’s Michael Venus 6-3 7-5.

There will probably be British curiosity within the finals although, because the second semi-final options the fourth seeds, all-British pairing of Julian Money and Lloyd Glasspool in opposition to the second seeds and reigning Wimbledon males’s doubles champions Henry Patten and his Finnish associate Harri Heliovaara.

WTA Berlin

Ladies’s world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka was surprised by former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova who wrapped up a commanding win in straight units.

Czech Vondrousova managed the tempo from the outset with massive serving on the grass as she secured the 6-2, 6-4 win in a single hour and 20 minutes.

She broke the Belarusian twice within the first set whereas saving each break factors she confronted to achieve her first ultimate since her 2023 Wimbledon victory, earlier than turning into stricken by accidents and seeing her rating plummet.

“I really feel like on grass it’s important to take dangers, you realize, and that was the purpose; I used to be like, ‘okay, let’s strive’,” Vondrousova mentioned.

“The match would proceed in any other case, so it’s important to go for it.

“I used to be feeling rather well right this moment so, yeah, I am simply very comfortable.

“I did not play for a very long time, so I am simply so comfortable to be again wholesome and so grateful to play these matches.

“After I noticed the sphere, I used to be like, okay, let’s attempt to win the primary spherical, and now that is occurring, so thanks guys for the assist.”

Vondrousova will play qualifier Wang Xinyu in Sunday’s ultimate, after the Chinese language participant beat Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-4 6-1 in an hour and quarter-hour to achieve the primary ultimate of her profession.

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