Draper reaches maiden Indian Wells quarter-final

Jack Draper earned the third victory of his career over an opponent ranked in the worlds top five

British number one Jack Draper reached the Indian Wells quarter-finals for the first time by beating world number four Taylor Fritz with one of the best performances of his career.

Draper, ranked 14th, took control by winning seven games in a row from 5-4 down in a tight first set and held his nerve to secure a 7-5 6-4 victory.

The 23-year-old Briton won 91% of his first-serve points, dictated the rallies with his forehand and rarely made a mistake against 2022 champion Fritz.

"Its the first time I think I have played against someone like Taylor and felt like I dominated the match," Draper, who beat a top-five ranked opponent for only the third time in his career, told BBC Sport.

"I want to play against the best players in the world so I can show what Im all about.

"I believe I can beat anyone and play some great tennis. Its just about doing it more and more, which will give me more belief."

The only blip for the 13th seed came when he served for the match at 5-2, relinquishing his double break advantage with a double fault on break point.

That was followed by a hold to love for American third seed Fritz, which set up a nervier finish than Draper would have hoped for.

But the left-handed Englishman showed his ever-improving mental strength to reset quickly and close out the match at the second attempt.

Drapers reward is an exciting quarter-final on Thursday against huge-serving American Ben Shelton, who practised with the Briton at Indian Wells last week.

Draper has long been tipped for the very top of the mens game and is now rapidly closing in on the worlds top 10 for the first time.

The manner in which he dismantled Fritz, who finished runner-up at last years US Open after reaching his first major final, was another indicator that he has the potential to win some of the sports biggest prizes.

Physical issues have regularly held him back, however, with the latest being a hip injury which disrupted his off-season preparations and affected him at the Australian Open in January.

As a result, the Masters event in Indian Wells - often referred to as the biggest event outside of the four majors - is only his third tournament of the season.

Nevertheless, he has looked fit in the Californian desert and his sharp movement was another key factor in beating Fritz.

"I think its right up there with the best Ive seen Jack play," said former British number one Tim Henman, who was working as a courtside analyst for Sky Sports.

"This is a big, big win - lets not shy away from it.

"The scoreline looks closer than it was because he was sensational in that middle part of the match."

Momentum swung Drapers way after a peculiar moment at the change of ends following the ninth game of the first set.

With a few spots of rain falling onto the court, Fritz packed his racquet into his bag and sat waiting, while Draper was ready to play.

After a short delay, Fritz was told by the umpire to get back on court - and looked completely out of sorts when he returned.

Draper remained locked in as Fritz, who had held his first five service games without too much pressure, unravelled.

With the accuracy and pace of his first serve providing a rock-solid base, the Briton was able to use his forehand to punishing effect and quickly raced ahead before clinching a standout victory.

Now he has the opportunity unlock another new career achievement by beating Shelton to reach the semi-finals of a Masters event for the first time.

"I still feel like I have a lot to prove, not only to myself, but in general," added Draper.

"Im not a top 10 player until Im there and Im always hungry for more and want to prove my level."