Jack Draper battled through a tough second-round match at Queen's Club, overcoming a first-set deficit to defeat Alexei Popyrin and secure his place in the quarter-finals. The British number one displayed resilience and grit in the face of a strong challenge from the Australian world number 21, eventually prevailing in a tense tie-break to seal the victory.

The match began with Popyrin dictating the play, putting Draper under pressure with his aggressive serve and powerful groundstrokes. Draper struggled to find his rhythm in the first set, and Popyrin capitalized, breaking his serve and ultimately taking the set 6-3.

However, Draper responded strongly in the second set, raising his level and finding more consistency in his game. He began to dictate rallies with his own powerful groundstrokes and started to find success in returning Popyrin's serve. Draper broke Popyrin's serve twice in the second set, racing to a 6-2 victory to level the match.

The third set was a closely contested affair, with both players holding serve throughout. Draper faced some tight moments on his serve but managed to fend off any break points, while Popyrin also remained solid. As the set progressed, the tension in the stadium grew, with the crowd sensing that the match was headed for a decisive tie-break.

In the tie-break, Draper seized the initiative, jumping out to an early lead. Popyrin fought back, but Draper remained composed, hitting some clutch serves and aggressive forehands to edge ahead. At 6-5, Draper unleashed a powerful serve that Popyrin couldn't handle, sealing the tie-break 7-5 and the match.

Speaking after the match, Draper acknowledged the difficulty of the contest, praising Popyrin's performance. He also expressed his delight at playing in front of his home crowd and reaching the quarter-finals at Queen's Club. Draper is aiming to make a deep run at Wimbledon this year, and reaching the Queen's semi-finals would guarantee him a fourth seed at the major tournament.

Draper, currently ranked sixth in the ATP rankings, has had a strong year so far, reaching the last 16 at both the Australian and French Opens. He also secured his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells. The 23-year-old is looking to build on his previous performances at Queen's, where he has reached the quarter-finals twice before. He is hoping to become only the second British man in the Open era to win the Queen's Club title, following in the footsteps of Andy Murray.

In his post match interview, Draper joked about Andy Murray, as the center court was named after the five-time champion. He expressed how inspired he is by Murray and how much he misses him on tour. Draper will be looking to replicate the success of his tennis idol as he continues his campaign at Queen's Club.