Jack Draper returned to the courts at the Japan Open and showed great level, making the quarter-final at the ATP 500 event thanks to his composure and attitude.
Draper is enjoying some of the best days in his tennis career he's ever had. His best career run came at the US Open recently, where he made the semi-final before losing to Jannik Sinner.
It was a huge achievement for Draper, as he was able to prove to himself mostly that he was capable of reaching such rounds. He was bound to continue playing well after that major run, and it's been happening so far at the Japan Open.
He played there last year, so he's quite familiar with the courts. This has proven beneficial to his performances this year, as he's won two matches so far.
In the first one, he bested Mattia Bellucci, who has been playing super solid tennis lately on the ATP Challenger Tour. The Italian proved no match for Draper, who won 6-4, 6-2.
The second match was against Hubert Hurkacz, who is also a very solid player, a Top 10 player capable of some amazing tennis. The Polish player didn't have enough to trouble Draper as the Brit won in two sets, and he credited his attitude and composure for handling that matchup against Hurkacz.
"I was pleased with a lot of things today. I thought my attitude was really good. I got myself out of some tough situations and played the pretty big points on my terms, and that's something that I've wanted to do."
It was a very tricky matchup because the Polish player didn't make it easy, but Draper was able to navigate it about as well as possible.
"I know Hubert, I know when he gets time on the ball, he's so dangerous, probably the best server in the world right now. So, I'm really happy with my composure, the way I approached the game, and hopefully I can carry this momentum forwards."
Draper will have a very good chance of making a really deep run in Tokyo because the conditions clearly work well for him, and he enjoys playing in Japan.
His form has been great, especially after the US Open run, which was a major confidence-building run. The draw has been good for him as well, as the British player will face Ugo Humbert in the next round.
That's certainly not the toughest opponent he can face, though he must be careful because Humbert can play some super solid tennis. Still, there is a very good chance that Draper could make a final or even win the trophy in Tokyo.
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