British No.1 Jack Draper says he is hoping for a “big contest” when he takes on his good friend Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday.
After going the distance against Marijan Navone and Thanasis Kokkinakis, Draper again came from two sets to one to see off unseeded Australian Aleksandar Vukic and set up a clash with Spain's Alcaraz on Friday.
Draper couldn't separate himself from his unheralded opponent until the deciding tie-break, which he just did with a 6-4 2-6 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8) victory at 12:55 p.m..
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Watch Australian Open highlights as Jack Draper beat Australia's Aleksandar Vukic in five sets to set up a fourth-round showdown with Carlos Alcaraz
Draper barely had the energy to celebrate and, having spent more than 12-and-a-half hours on court during his three matches, must now try to recover for his first Grand Slam meeting with third-seeded Alcaraz on Sunday.
Draper was due to spend a week training with Alcaraz in southern Spain in December, but that was disrupted by his hip injury.
The pair have played three previous matches and Draper can take credit for winning their last competition at Queen's Club last summer – although he doesn't see that as particularly relevant.
“Grass is obviously a win, but I think he just came off the French Open and had some time off,” Draper said. “I just won Stuttgart, and it's a completely different game on grass.
“I know what to expect from him. He will come out with a lot of energy, and it is obvious that he is a special talent.
“I have to be aggressive. I have to take my chances. Against top players, you have fewer and fewer chances to win games and sets and all these things.
“I have to be brave in the way I play, but I expect him to come out and know that I played three five-setters and I know he has a battle on his hands and he's going to have to play well. It's going to be a great competition, I'm sure.”
Draper credits change breathing technique
British No. 1 Draper is credited with changing his breathing technique for improved physical endurance
Draper has broken down physically in several matches, battling back spasms several times while throwing up after a first-round match here last year and during the US Open semifinals.
He believes anxiety played a part, but also revealed he used the time he missed with a hip injury in pre-season to change the way he breathes during games.
“In general, I've been putting in a lot of work over time. It seems like maybe when I had that time off with the hook, I was able to focus on working on a few different things.”
He continued: “I've been working a lot with a breathing coach and just trying to understand it a little bit better. So I think that really helps.
“When I was younger, I had a lot of sinus problems, so I breathe through my mouth a lot. Obviously, when you're anxious or when you have long spots and you need to recover quickly, it's not effective to breathe through your mouth. .
“So I've been trying to reverse what I'm doing and breathe through my nose a lot better. I think sometimes you don't realize how tense your body is.
“Especially me, because I've always been someone who likes to try hard, and I think sometimes you just have to relax. Especially in tennis, because you have to be free to let your muscles do what they need to do. , obviously, if you're tense all the time , you won't last too long.”
The 23-year-old from Sutton admitted his critics were right to question his stamina, but was proud to put those doubts to rest with a stunning success against Vukic.
Asked if he had a message for his doubters, Draper was bluntly honest, saying, “No, not really.
“It's true. Most of the time I'm done after two sets. It's just the way it is and it's something I'm aware of and I've had to get better at it.
“I still have a long way to go, but this is a huge step forward, the fact that I'm mentally and physically (fit) – three matches in five sets, that doesn't happen often. It's proof of work. I've done the place I'm at. So I very, very proud of that.
“Obviously I'm not feeling incredibly fresh right now, but I'm going to bounce back. I'm going to do my best to go for another one.”
Can Draper recover for the ultimate test?
Draper will have to play through the heat of the day against Alcaraz
He did not come off the court after Vukic's contest until 1am on Friday night and was hoping for another night match against Alcaraz, but will instead have to play through the heat of the day with the match scheduled at Rod Laver Arena for 3.30pm. local time.
In more bad news for Draper, it is forecast to be the hottest day of the tournament so far, with temperatures in the mid-30s, so it will be a serious test for his already tired body.
Draper, who had never advanced past the second round here before, played in three of the tournament's longest 13 matches and spent more than 12-and-a-half hours on court – more than twice as long as Alcaraz, who dropped just one set.
On how he would try to recover, Draper said: “The main thing is to not think about tennis at all and to switch off from it and try to relax, and hopefully the body will be fine. I expect to be really sore. “
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