British men’s No. 1 Jack Draper secured his place in the final of the Qatar Open with a typically hard-fought 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 win over Jiri Lehecka on Friday.
The 23-year-old will face world No. 10 Andrey Rublev in the final on Saturday after the Russian overcame Felix Auger-Aliassime in their semifinal matchup.
Lehecka, who stunned Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, took a set lead before Draper fought back in the second.
The 2024 US Open semifinalist earned the first break as he went 3-1 up, but Lehecka battled back to level at 3-3. The games then went with the serve before Draper emerged victorious from the tiebreak.
A double fault from Lehecka allowed Draper to break in the deciding third set, prompting the Czech to throw his racket to the floor in frustration. With the match momentum now firmly behind him, Draper pressed home his advantage to overcome his opponent after two hours and 23 minutes.
“I thought in the first set I put in a sloppy game,” Draper said. “I started to get a lead on his [Lehecka’s] serve, holding easier and creating a lot of pressure behind his serve.
“I felt more positive as the match went on. I’m proud of the way I competed out there.”
Victory over Rublev would secure the third ATP title of Draper’s career.