Jack Draper reaches Qatar Open final with hard-fought victory over Jiri Lehecka

Jack Draper has reached the final of the Qatar Open after a thrilling 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 victory over Jiri Lehecka in the semifinals. The British number one will now face Andrey Rublev in Saturday’s final, aiming to secure his third career title.

Jiri Lehecka takes early lead against Jack Draper

The Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka took control of the match in the opening set, breaking Draper’s serve in the eighth game to seize a 5-3 lead.

Draper, however, showed resilience in the second set, which was much more evenly contested. After a tense battle, the set went into a tie-break, where Draper raised his game to take the tie-break 7-2, sending the match into a deciding third set.

Jack Draper powers through decider

In the final set, both players held serve until Lehecka’s frustration began to show. A double fault from Lehecka handed Draper a crucial break, with the Czech slamming his racket to the floor in anger. Draper, who had been recovering from recent injury problems, capitalized on the break and broke serve again with his second match point to seal the victory.

Reflecting on his performance, Draper said,

I thought in the first set I put in a sloppy game. 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.

Jack Draper to face Andrey Rublev in Qatar Open final

Draper’s opponent in the final will be Russia’s Andrey Rublev, who defeated Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) in a thrilling semifinal. Rublev won the deciding set after securing victory with his fourth match point, continuing his strong form in the tournament.

I feel that I’m playing better and better week by week, I’m improving, Rublev said after his win.

The Russian has won all three of his previous meetings with Draper, setting the stage for a highly anticipated final.

All-British Men’s Doubles final

In the men’s doubles, the final will also be an all-British affair. Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury triumphed 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 over Britain's Henry Patten and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara to reach the final.

Earlier, British duo Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash defeated India’s Yuki Bhambri and Croatia’s Ivan Dodig 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. This will be the third ATP Tour final between two all-British teams, with all three featuring at least one of the Skupski brothers.