In the exciting clash of the BNP Paribas Open held in Indian Wells, California, Jack Draper triumphed over Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, with a score of 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 during the tournament on Saturday, propelling himself into the final. Draper, who holds the 13th seed, is now set to confront Holger Rune, the 12th seed, in Sunday’s final. Rune secured his spot by overcoming the fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev with a score of 7-6, 6-4, marking his 150th victory at the tour level.
In the women’s final taking place on Sunday, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka will face off against 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva after both players emerged victorious in their respective semifinals held on a chilly Friday night.
Draper managed to break Alcaraz’s impressive 16-match winning streak at this ATP Masters 1000 event located in the expansive California desert. The 23-year-old left-handed player from England, poised to make a debut in the world top 10 ranking by Monday, has previously claimed titles in Vienna and Stuttgart. To date, he stands with a 2-3 record against Alcaraz.
Reflecting on the match, Draper commented, “It was a strange match in all honesty. Carlos came out a little flat, I sensed that. I had a chance in the first game of the second, and he came up with an ace. What happened to him happened to me, I got tight, I had low energy.” He further mentioned, “Against the top players in the world, they can change their momentum very quickly. I got lost out there for 25 minutes, but in the third, I was really proud of my competitiveness, my attitude and I somehow managed to get over the line.”
Alcaraz, seeded second, missed the opportunity to make history as the youngest player to win three consecutive singles titles at any ATP Tour event, and only the third player to achieve it at Indian Wells. The 21-year-old Spanish prodigy clinched the Rotterdam title in February for his 17th ATP Tour victory.
Meanwhile, Holger Rune, the 21-year-old Danish player, snapped a seven-match losing streak in semifinals. Against Medvedev, Rune holds a 2-2 record.
“It means everything,” expressed Rune regarding his victory. “The job is not over yet, but it feels amazing. Playing Daniil is one of the toughest challenges for me on tour. I managed to beat him the first time we played, but we know each other well. I obviously had the right tactics, but it was still so difficult because he puts in great effort and is super solid. So, I’m very proud of myself.”
Rune already holds four ATP Tour titles with his most notable win achieving another ATP Masters 1000 victory in Paris in 2022.
Medvedev, on the other hand, has claimed 20 ATP Tour titles with his last victory in 2023. The 29-year-old Russian faced defeat against Alcaraz in the previous year’s Indian Wells final.
