Draper Set For World Top Five After Beating Arnaldi

British number 1 Jack Draper cruised past Italy's Matteo Arnaldi 6-0 6-4 to scope nan semi-finals of nan Madrid Open and will move into nan apical 5 successful nan world for nan first clip successful his career.

Englishman Draper won nan first group successful conscionable 25 minutes.

World number 44 Arnaldi won his first 2 work games successful nan 2nd earlier Draper made nan important break pinch a fierce cross-court victor to return a 3-2 lead.

The 23-year-old Englishman, who won nan Indian Wells title successful March, past held service and went connected to declare triumph successful 1 hr and 17 minutes.

The ascendant Draper dropped conscionable 10 points connected his service without facing a break constituent and will overtake Grand Slam record-holder Novak Djokovic to move into nan world's apical 5 connected Monday.

Draper, nan highest seeded subordinate remaining successful nan tournament, will look Italy's Lorenzo Musetti aliases Canada's Gabriel Diallo successful his first ATP clay tribunal semi-final.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Draper said: "I consciousness stronger each clip I play.

"Against these guys I utilized to consciousness for illustration I would beryllium nan 1 connected nan backmost foot, nan 1 defending, truthful nan adjacent portion of my crippled was getting tin physically to do nan things I cognize I tin do and bully these guys.

"I person been doing everything successful each areas beautiful good and americium excited to support connected going. Hopefully it keeps coming together.

"You spot guys for illustration Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner person nary fearfulness and truthful I conscionable want to spell aft it, I suppose.

"My forehand is doing a batch of harm and I want to support it up.

"I cognize I tin triumph immoderate lucifer and suffer immoderate match. I americium fearful I could suffer but that helps maine compete nan measurement I do."