Jack Draper prepared for a “very tough” battle against Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals in Indian Wells

Jack Draper will face Ben Shelton for the first time in his career in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters.

Jack Draper prepared for a “very tough” battle against Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals in Indian Wells

Jack Draper and Ben Shelton (via X)

Jack Draper continued with his last season form this year. The British star reached the Round of 16 of the Australian Open, then finished as runners-up in Qatar. He booked his place in the quarter-finals of Indian Wells and is set to face Ben Shelton. The 23-year-old admitted that his tie against the American will be a “very tough match” as prepares for it.

Draper has been dominant since the start of Indian Wells. The British star had withdrawn from the Dubai Championships to get fit for the tournament and he proved that in his opening match. He defeated Joao Fonseca in straight sets before beating American Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-4 in the third round.

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On Wednesday (March 12), he then produced a dominant service display against Taylor Fritz, winning 32 out of 35 points. He broke the World No.4 several times, making it hard for his opponent to get into the match. He defeated Fritz 7-5, 6-4 in the fourth round to earn a place in the quarter-final of Indian Wells for the first time in his career.

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Draper victory earned him a slim 3-2 lead in their head-to-head record. The British was down 1-2 before last November, but after a win at the Paris Masters and Indian Wells he has now toppled the American. The British star is now up against a big server and left-handed prodigy in Shelton next in Indian Wells.

During his press conference, he was asked about facing Shelton in the quarter-finals. The 23-year-old first praised his American opponent and gave reasons why he may struggle against him. However, he then assured that he will be ready for a tough battle.

Ben is a player with a lot of energy. I haven’t competed against him yet, but I know what he is capable of. We all know how he serves, I saw him play last night and he hit some serves at 240km/h. I don’t think I can do that (laughs). He is left-handed like me, someone who also aims to be in the top 10, which is impressive. He is a very nice guy, becoming more consistent every day, and has beaten top players this week. I’m looking forward to this match, we’ve never played against each other, so it will be very fun. Of course, it will be a very tough match.

Jack Draper said via Indian Wells Press

Draper and Shelton have known each other very well as they sometimes trained together, but they are yet to face meet in a competitive tour event. Hence, their first meeting will be in last eight in Indian Wells.

Jack Draper reveals the strategy he used to beat Taylor Fritz in the fourth round

Jack Draper has only suffered two losses this season. The British star has immensely improved in his game, which has led him to beat tough opponents. Though, he was out for over a month after the after the Australian Open, he returned to tour and reached the final of the Qatar Open. On Wednesday (March 12), he displayed one of his best-ever performances to beat Taylor Fritz.

Jack Draper (via X)

During the aforementioned press conference, he was about what he has improved in his game as the season continued and especially against Fritz. He revealed that he tried to maintain an aggressive style and pressure on his opponent.

Taylor is someone who, when serving and winning games, is hard to stop. It creates a lot of pressure on your service games, but today I think I also maintained that pressure. There were several 30-30 situations on his serve, I saw that I was close, obviously I had to be very aggressive in the 5-5 game, but in the past, I didn’t always manage to play as well against him, I became more passive at times when I should have been aggressive. I’m happy with how I stood my ground in those moments where, perhaps, I could have eased off.

Jack Draper said

Draper has earned a remarkable 10-2 record this season. The British star has reached the Round of 16 of three tournaments he has featured in. He will hope to carry the form to Miami and then into the clay season.