Photo Source: TTV
After recent struggles, Andrey Rublev appears to have resumed his climb up the ATP rankings. Jack Draper’s climb is just beginning.
The pair each advanced on Friday in Doha, setting a fourth career meeting between the pair.
Draper rallied from a set down for a 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 victory over Czeh Jiri Lehecka to stretch his run of consecutive wins at ATP 500 events to nine and improve to 5-0 in deciding sets in 2025. The British No.1 followed the same script that he employed against Matteo Berrettini on Thursday – he gradually turned the screws and took over the contest.
Rublev needed a third-set tiebreak to prevent Felix Auger-Aliassime from becoming the first player to reach three ATP finals in 2025. The Russian improved to 18-8 lifetime in deciding set tiebreaks and reaching his 27th ATP final.
Rublev improved to 15-5 at Doha, where he won the title in 2020.
He is 3-0 lifetime against Draper but the pair have not met since 2023. In the interim, Draper has steadily become one of the forces in men’s tennis. The 23-year-old is up to No.12 in the live rankings and owns a 7-1 record on the season.
“I’m definitely a different player since I last played him,” Draper said on court after his victory. “But at the end of the day he’s a top 10 player, and someone that I respect massively. He’s someone who has been top 10 for many years now, and he’s going to come out and play incredibly well. I watched him play earlier this week and he’s there every ball – I’m going to be ready for that one, I look forward to the match and what’s to come.” Draper hit 33 winners against 27 unforced errors on the day, and won all 11 first-serve points he played in the final set, as he broke in Lehecka’s final two service games to secure the win.
Rublev improved to 6-1 lifetime against Auger-Aliassime and will bid for his 17th ATP title (16-10) on Saturday, while Draper (2-2) will bid for his third.