Jack Draper Advances to Semifinals After Defeating Ben Shelton at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, California — In a thrilling quarter-final match at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, Jack Draper of Britain defeated American Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-5. The victory secures Draper a spot in the Masters 1000 semi-finals for the first time in his career, where he will face two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

The match was played in cold and blustery conditions, which added a layer of challenge for both players. Draper, 23, who reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open last September, showcased his powerful serve, winning the first set with a break in the seventh game.

“I’m always proud of myself,” Draper told BBC Sport following his victory. “Unfortunately, in tennis, you’re in a sport where there is always the next match and you have to prove yourself every time.” He has yet to lose a set in the tournament.

The second set began tumultuously for Draper, as he fell behind 0-3 after Shelton capitalized on his powerful groundstrokes. Draper received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct after hitting a ball into the stands, but he refocused and fought back to level the set.

The decisive moment came when Shelton double-faulted, giving Draper an opportunity to serve for the match at 6-5. Draper faced a 0-30 deficit but rallied to win the next four points, clinching the match in one hour and 39 minutes.

“I felt like maybe the conditions suited me a little bit more,” Draper explained. “His serve would be bouncing very high if it were lively, but I felt it was a challenge for both of us dealing with the wind and the dead conditions.”

Looking ahead to his match against Alcaraz, Draper acknowledged the Spaniard’s impressive skill set. “I think these courts bring out the best in him,” he said.

Alcaraz, the world number three, advanced to the semi-finals by defeating Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). The match marked Alcaraz’s 16th consecutive win at Indian Wells. He faced early challenges, notably falling behind 1-4 in the second set before rallying to secure victory in a tiebreak.

Daniil Medvedev, fifth seed and runner-up at Indian Wells the past two years, also progressed to the semi-finals after edging past France’s Arthur Fils 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (9-7). Medvedev expressed relief after his match, saying, “I was happy I was able to get over the line as he saved some match points.”

Medvedev is set to face Denmark’s Holger Rune, who advanced after defeating Tallon Griekspoor 5-7, 6-0, 6-3.

In the women’s draw, world number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised past Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3, and will meet 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who eliminated Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-1.

Ninth seed Mirra Andreeva also reached the semi-finals following a 7-5, 6-3 win over Elina Svitolina. She is slated to play Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who defeated Chinese Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng 6-3, 6-3.