Australian Open 2025: Jack Draper beats Aleksandar Vukic & faces Carlos Alcaraz next in Melbourne
When the Englishman took the first set against Vukic in 30 minutes, it looked like a simpler night was coming.
Vukic, a 28-year-old late bloomer playing in his first Grand Slam third round, did the damage with his forehand but wasn’t consistent enough to turn an early break into a lead.
Draper fought back with some explosive shots, including a running forehand winner around the net post that drew gasps from the crowd.
However, Draper’s level plummeted in the second and third sets as Vukic turned the tables.
Smashing his racket on the court and making a loud noise to the heckling fans allowed a nervous Draper to let off some steam before the fourth quarter.
Both men hit more highlight-worthy shots in the tense match, including a precise inside-out forehand on the court and a Vukic backhand volley that saved two set points.
As the deciding set began, Draper continued to push forward on the court, helping him break serve early.
Vukic was also pulled for the third straight game and relied on the energy of the crowd to bounce back again.
The tiebreak in games one through ten was a fitting end to the match, as Draper, leading 3-0 and trailing 6-5, would not return a serve on the second match point.
“This is an incredibly tough game. We’ve all played a lot of sets, so I know it’s going to be tough. There’s a lot of ups and downs,” Draper said.
“I thought it was over, he came back from the dead. It was a great fight, both fighters fighting hard. That’s what sport is about.”