Jack Draper has brilliant reaction as 10,000 Aussies boo Brit in four-hour blockbuster Australian Open clash
Jack Draper defied the partisan crowd to win a four-hour thriller at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old reacted to Melbourne’s intense booing after surviving a marathon to pull-off an incredible comeback. Jack Draper responds to the crowd after holding serve On the brink of a defeat for the second time in as many rounds, Draper fought back to secure his place in the third-round of the Australian Open. The British No.1 had to dig deep to beat home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis over five gruelling sets and eventually won 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 3-6 7-5 6-3. Draper, seeded 15th, was one game away from elimination after Kokkiniakis served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set but the Brit broke to love and went on to win the set. After breaking back and holding serve, the 15th seed faced intense booing again, with the initial booing beginning when Draper walked out into the arena with a packed John Cain arena backing their home hope. The 23-year-old went on to win the deciding set with a single late break silencing the Aussies in the crowd who had jeered the Brit for the entire match. And Draper got his vengeance, cupping his ears in reaction to the booing and remaining remarkably calm to secure the victory and secure his place in the third round. Eurosport commentator Mikey Perera said: “Here we go then, a few boos for Jack Draper. I don’t think he’ll mind that. He’s the sort of character that will say: ‘Okay then, bring it on’.” Draper reacted to the booing on-court following his win. “This is what I play for since I was a young guy, I wanted to play in front of big crowds and whether you guys are with me or against me it was a tough atmosphere to deal with,” Draper said. “You guys were obviously all with Thanasi but I had a little fun as well. It was so good to be out here and really happy with the amount of support we get here at these big tournaments, it’s unbelievable.” Jack Draper and Thanasi Kokkinakis embrace each other View Tweet: https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The British No.1 was also quick to give credit to Kokkinakis who looked in discomfort for much of the match, the Australian was forced to pull out of a quarter-final in Adelaide just last week. “That was a really tough match, Thanasi Kokkinakis is an unbelievable player, someone who I have great respect for,” Draper added. “It’s difficult, credit to him I think he was hurting quite a lot and obviously he pulled out last week and had a really long match in his first match. He came out here and he gave it his all until the end.” Draper is now the furthest he has ever been in the Australian Open, with the Brit reaching the third round in Melbourne for the first time in his career. The 23-year-old, who has won two titles in his career, entered the Happy Slam off the back of a semi-final appearance at the US Open and will be looking to replicate a deep run. Attention now turns to Friday, where Draper may have to relieve this drama again when he takes on Aleksandar Vukic in what is likely to be a night-session on one of the big courts.
Jack Draper defied the partisan crowd to win a four-hour thriller at the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old reacted to Melbourne’s intense booing after surviving a marathon to pull-off an incredible comeback.
On the brink of a defeat for the second time in as many rounds, Draper fought back to secure his place in the third-round of the Australian Open.
The British No.1 had to dig deep to beat home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis over five gruelling sets and eventually won 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 3-6 7-5 6-3.
Draper, seeded 15th, was one game away from elimination after Kokkiniakis served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set but the Brit broke to love and went on to win the set.
After breaking back and holding serve, the 15th seed faced intense booing again, with the initial booing beginning when Draper walked out into the arena with a packed John Cain arena backing their home hope.
The 23-year-old went on to win the deciding set with a single late break silencing the Aussies in the crowd who had jeered the Brit for the entire match.
And Draper got his vengeance, cupping his ears in reaction to the booing and remaining remarkably calm to secure the victory and secure his place in the third round.
Eurosport commentator Mikey Perera said: “Here we go then, a few boos for Jack Draper. I don’t think he’ll mind that. He’s the sort of character that will say: ‘Okay then, bring it on’.”
Draper reacted to the booing on-court following his win.
“This is what I play for since I was a young guy, I wanted to play in front of big crowds and whether you guys are with me or against me it was a tough atmosphere to deal with,” Draper said.
“You guys were obviously all with Thanasi but I had a little fun as well. It was so good to be out here and really happy with the amount of support we get here at these big tournaments, it’s unbelievable.”
The British No.1 was also quick to give credit to Kokkinakis who looked in discomfort for much of the match, the Australian was forced to pull out of a quarter-final in Adelaide just last week.
“That was a really tough match, Thanasi Kokkinakis is an unbelievable player, someone who I have great respect for,” Draper added.
“It’s difficult, credit to him I think he was hurting quite a lot and obviously he pulled out last week and had a really long match in his first match. He came out here and he gave it his all until the end.”
Draper is now the furthest he has ever been in the Australian Open, with the Brit reaching the third round in Melbourne for the first time in his career.
The 23-year-old, who has won two titles in his career, entered the Happy Slam off the back of a semi-final appearance at the US Open and will be looking to replicate a deep run.
Attention now turns to Friday, where Draper may have to relieve this drama again when he takes on Aleksandar Vukic in what is likely to be a night-session on one of the big courts.
