Jack Draper was starstruck the first few times he met Andy Murray, but the 21-year-old Briton showcased star power of his own Monday night with a classy performance against his countryman at the BNP Paribas Open.

Draper won the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting 7-6(6), 6-2 for his second straight victory against a fellow Briton in Indian Wells, having beaten Daniel Evans in the second round. He saved a set point with an ace at 5-6 in the opening set, then rattled off the final four games to seal a famous result, clinching it on a double fault for his third break of the match.

“I’ve looked up to Andy since I was so young. I watched him win Wimbledon for the first time in 2013 and then I’ve had the opportunity to get to know him and practise with him often since 2019,” the 6-foot-4 lefty said post-match. “He’s a really special person, a great champion, great human being and I’m privileged to play against him on this court.”

In a two-hour match full of entertaining exchanges, Draper won just enough of them to claim an up-and-down opening set before driving his advantage home in the second by leaning on his lefty serve and forehand. He also attacked the net to great effect throughout, winning 18 of his 26 points from the frontcourt.

“I want to keep on trying to impose my game and use my weapons,” Draper said of his ventures forward. “It’s not easy in these conditions. It’s quite slow tonight, the wind was a bit swirly and obviously playing against Andy, he makes it incredibly awkward for you. It’s something I’m looking to improve with my coach and it’s definitely starting to pay off a little bit more.”

The first of two distinct sets saw 10 break points, with Draper creating seven of them. The Indian Wells debutant made an early statement by powering to a 3-1 lead, but dropped serve to love as he attempted to serve the set out at 5-4. With both men alternating between moments of magic and madness, the set ticked toward a tie-break after consecutive deuce games from 5-5. Draper showed great resilience to fire an ace after gifting Murray a set point and never trailed in a neck-and-neck tie-break.

Set two, by contrast, was dominated by serve, with just two points going to the returner in the first five games. That changed when Draper broke for 4-2, and he escaped 15/40 in the ensuing game before breaking from 40/0 to clinch the win.

The competitors shared an extended embrace at the net post-match, having become good friends despite the 14-year gap in their ages. With the victory, Draper moves within one win of matching his best ATP Masters 1000 result, a quarter-final run in Cincinnati last season.

Photo credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour

Up 13 places to No. 43 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings this week, five spots off his career high, he is now guaranteed to finish this week above Murray.

Next up for Draper will be top seed Carlos Alcaraz or Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who are set to close the day’s play on the stadium court. Should it be another marquee matchup against Alcaraz, Draper is ready.

“Beating Dan and Andy, that’s about as much confidence as I’d need for that match,” he said. “Carlos is another level up, he’s been No 1 in the world, had an exceptional year last year, so it would be amazing to play him again in another real battle.”

The pair met last October in Basel, where Alcaraz came from behind to pull out a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win.

Taylor Fritz’s title defence at the BNP Paribas Open moved into high gear Monday when the American dropped just three games in a scorching third-round win over Sebastian Baez.

After needing to rally from a set down in Saturday’s opener against countryman Ben Shelton, Fritz dominated the World No. 35 Argentine 6-1, 6-2 to set up a fourth-round meeting with Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics.

Defending 1000 points this week, 25-year-old Fritz finds himself at No. 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, having come into the tournament at a career-high No. 5. The California native is acutely aware what’s at stake, but showed no signs of the pressure he is playing under against Baez.

“I’m trying to take it like it’s any other tournament, but I’m reminded that I’m defending the title every, like, hour or so,” Fritz said with a smile. “It’s tough to forget that, but I am trying to take it like how it is.”

Fritz said that he was focussed more on the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, hoping to return to the Nitto ATP Finals after making his debut in Turin last year. “We start over at zero, the race, the race is the race. I’m just trying to have good results to put myself in the best position to end the year at the highest spot in the race.

Fritz won the first four games against Baez in a dominant start — though he had to erase a break point in the first game. The fifth seed served for a 6-0 second set but instead served out the win to love on his second attempt.

In the one-hour, 10-minute match, Fritz lost just three points on first serve (21/24) and finished with 19 winners. He broke the Baez serve six times on 12 chances, denying the Argentine his first Top 5 win.

Fucsovics was also off the court quickly, requiring one hour, 18 minutes to move past Molcan 6-4, 6-2. The Hungarian did not face a break point in the match, losing just six total points on serve.

The 31-year-old Fucsovics, who this week is up 11 places to No. 73 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, began the year at the Challenger level, winning the Canberra title. Soon after he pushed Jannik Sinner to five sets in the Australian Open third round but came into Indian Wells on the back of a first-round loss in Dubai qualifying.

Tuesday’s meeting between Fritz and Fucsovics will open the pair’s ATP Head2Head series.

Down a set-and-a-break, American Aleksandar Kovacevic rallied to stay alive in the Arizona Tennis Classic qualifying.

The 24-year-old earned a hard-fought 6-7(12), 7-6(6), 6-2 victory on Monday against Frenchman Geoffrey Blancaneaux after three hours, 10 minutes.

In the opening set tie-break, World No. 155 Blancaneaux fended off Kovacevic’s two set points before converting his eighth set point. The Frenchman then served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but Kovacevic increased his level to advance to the second round of qualifying at the Phoenix Challenger.

“Sometimes when you’re in those situations, a guy serving for the match, it’s kind of freeing, you’re thinking ‘I might as well go out swinging!’” Kovacevic said post-match. “If I was going to lose, I wanted to lose the right way, which is playing my game and being aggressive.

“I knew if I could put my game together a little bit that I could win a lot of points. I put it all together in that game [where he served for the match]. It gave me a little bit of confidence.”

Kovacevic, who is No. 107 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, will next meet countryman Bjorn Fratangelo for a spot in the star-studded main draw, which features Matteo Berrettini, Diego Schwartzman, Richard Gasquet, and Gael Monfils. Fratangelo, who earlier this month announced his engagement to WTA star Madison Keys, ousted Elias Ymer 6-4, 7-6(6).

In other qualifying action, Australian Rinky Hijikata won seven of nine break points to defeat Mitchell Krueger 6-3, 6-3. The 22-year-old, who triumphed at the Burnie Challenger in February, will clash Tuesday against Jan-Lennard Struff, who defeated Enzo Couacaud 6-4, 6-3. #NextGenATP Swiss Leandro Riedi cruised past Puerto Vallarta Challenger champion Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-1. Italian Mattia Bellucci downed American wild card Murphy Cassone 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Nathan Ponwith, who hails from Arizona, caused the first upset of the Phoenix Challenger qualifying by taking out fourth seed Yosuke Watanuki 7-6(2), 6-2.

Standing at 6’6”, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev’s attributes have helped them reach the top of the game. The pair crush serves and are good defenders, using their long levers to hang in points and turn the tables.

When facing off, Medvedev and Zverev have had tight clashes on Tour. Zverev won the first four matches of their rivalry, but Medvedev has since responded, winning five of their past six encounters. Locked at 6-6 in their ATP Head2Head series, they will meet again on Tuesday in the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open.

“I’m sure we’re going to have a lot of rallies,” Medvedev said looking ahead to the clash. “It’s going to come down to who makes after 20 shots, the best shot to try to put your opponent off balance, which is not easy to do here.

“He’s coming back, he’s playing better and better. I think he’s not yet at where he was when he got injured, but every new match against a top player is an opportunity for him to bring back this level. So I’m going to have to try to play my best, and postpone it for at least [the] next tournament.”

Ahead of their 13th encounter, ATPTour.com looks at three of their past blockbusters.

Miami Open presented by Itau 2018, Second Round, Zverev d. Medvedev 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(5)
Miami was a special place for Zverev at the start of his career. It was the site of his first ATP Masters 1000 win in 2015 as well as his first Top 10 victory at the elite level in 2017 when he defeated top seed Stan Wawrinka en route to the quarter-finals.

In 2018, his second-round victory against Medvedev acted as a springboard for further success, with the German going on to reach the final (l. to Isner).

Taking a 2-0 ATP Head2Head series lead against Medvedev into the match, Zverev combined power with guile. The then-20-year-old fired 25 winners during the match and caused Medvedev trouble with his backhand slice. He forced Medvedev low and disrupted his rhythm to draw errors in the third-set tie-break, including a misfired forehand on match point.

“He’s one of the best servers on Tour,” Zverev said. “On his serve, anything can happen. I was just happy to take my chances in the tie-break and capitalise at 6/5 to win the match.”

Competing for the 200th time at tour-level, Zverev improved to 126-74 with his win.

ATP Cup 2021, SF, Medvedev d. Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
In just the first week of the 2021 season, Medvedev and Zverev met in Melbourne as they competed at the ATP Cup.

Medvedev had swept aside Diego Schwartzman and Kei Nishikori in his opening two matches of the year, while Zverev had downed Denis Shapovalov before he lost to Novak Djokovic in three sets.

Playing under the closed roof on Rod Laver Arena, Medvedev played patiently as he overcame a serving onslaught from Zverev by adjusting his return position, standing deeper behind the baseline to rally from a break down in the second set. In a tight decider, a double fault from Zverev gave Medvedev the late break at 6-5 and from there he secured victory, fending off five break points in his final service game to win.

“When it’s against Sascha and you are 6-3, 3-2 break down, many times you’re going to lose a match,” Medvedev said. “But I needed to keep my chances alive for the team first of all, for the country. I just tried to stay there, got a bit tight maybe. I just did my job and I’m really happy about it.”

Nitto ATP Finals 2021, Round Robin, Medvedev d. Zverev 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(6)
In one of the matches of the 2021 season, Medvedev and Zverev went blow-to-blow for two hours and 35 minutes in group play in Turin, before Medvedev once again came out on top to earn his fifth straight win against the German.

Both came into the match holding a 1-0 round-robin record after Medvedev downed Hubert Hurkacz, while Zverev had led Matteo Berrettini by a set before the Italian was forced to retire due to injury.

The pair, who also met in the round-robin stage at the season finale in 2020, struck their groundstrokes fiercely with Medvedev successfully soaking up the German’s heavy-hitting. In a tense third-set tie-break, Medvedev found a deep return on his backhand to move 6/4 ahead, but Zverev stepped up to save both match points as Medvedev attempted to serve and volley. However, it only delayed the outcome, with Medvedev sealing victory on his third match point to reach the semi-finals.

“Definitely one of the matches to remember,” Medvedev said.

Zverev quickly gained revenge, however, snapping a five-match losing streak to defeat Medvedev 6-4, 6-4 in the championship match five days later to clinch his second Nitto ATP Finals crown.

View their ATP H2H series here.

Felix Auger-Aliassime was left bloodied but unbeaten Monday after he caught himself with his racquet during his 7-5, 6-4 victory against Francisco Cerundolo at the BNP Paribas Open.

At 2-0 in the first set, the Canadian accidentally struck himself on the chin when returning the Argentine’s serve. The 22-year-old immediately walked to his chair where he was bandaged up before returning to court to book his spot in the fourth round after two hours and 10 minutes.

Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Pedro Martinez in his opening match, played aggressive, front-foot tennis throughout the clash. He hit through Cerundolo and overcame a late wobble when trying to serve out the match. After failing to hold at 5-2, the eighth seed eventually sealed victory at the second time of asking, converting his fifth match point to improve to 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

Auger-Aliassime is chasing his first ATP Masters 1000 crown and maiden tour-level title of the season this week in California. He is up to No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his 10th win of the season.

The four-time tour-level champion has advanced to the quarter-finals at the past five ATP Masters 1000 events he has played and will aim to make it six when he takes on Tommy Paul. The 22-year-old is aiming to jumpstart his season in Indian Wells, after suffering early exits in Adelaide, at the Australian Open and Dubai earlier this year.

The American Paul continued his impressive start to the season when he downed ninth-seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

In front of a lively home crowd, Paul demonstrated great agility, scrambling around the baseline to withstand Hurkacz’s heavy ballstriking and advance after one hour and 54 minutes.

“I stuck to the game plan more in the [second set],” Paul said. “The first set I don’t think was very pretty tennis overall. I played a sloppy game at 4-5 and went to the bathroom and gave myself a couple of slaps and came out and brought some more energy.”

Paul, who hit 26 winners against Hurkacz to level their ATP Head2Head series at 1-1, is currently No. 19 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings after enjoying a positive beginning to the year.

Paul reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January before he advanced to the final in Acapulco. He now holds a 14-4 record on the season, having defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in his opening match in Indian Wells.

After claiming their maiden ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2022, Finland’s Otto Virtanen and Hungarian Fabian Marozsan returned to the winners’ circle this week and are both now at career-high marks in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Virtanen, 21, claimed the Lugano Challenger while Marozsan won on the clay courts of Antalya, Turkey.

In Switzerland, Virtanen defeated Turkish qualifier Cem Ilkel 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final to collect the Challenger BancaStato Citta Di Lugano and climb to No. 139 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

A two-time Challenger titlist, Virtanen earned his first Challenger title this past October when he advanced through qualifying en route to winning the Bergamo Challenger.

The 23-year-old Marozsan dropped just one set all week to win the Megasaray Hotels Open. In the championship match, the second seed downed Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-0.

After Marozsan’s maiden title in Banja Luka in August, the Budapest native has enjoyed more breakthrough moments on the Challenger Tour. The Hungarian No. 2 (behind Marton Fucsovics) was a finalist at the 2022 Bratislava Challenger and reached the final four in Alicante. Following his triumph in Antalya, Marozsan rises to 134 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

At the Puerto Magico Open in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Benoit Paire captured his seventh Challenger title and first since November 2015. Four of the Frenchman’s five matches went the distance, including in the first round, where he fended off a match point to survive Nicolas Mejia.

Benoit Paire is crowned champion at the 2023 Puerto Vallarta Challenger. Credit: Barbara Ramos Villalobos

In the final, Paire rallied from a set down to defeat Japan’s Yuta Shimizu 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

“It was a very good week for me,” Paire said. “Mentally I was ready, I fought until the end. The first one was not easy, I was match point down. I’m really happy about this week.”

At the Challenger Santiago – Copa Kia in Chile, Bolivian Hugo Dellien ousted Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to claim his ninth Challenger title and third in Chile’s capital city (2019, 2022).

Hugo Dellien collects the title at the Santiago Challenger. Credit: Challenger Santiago – Copa Kia

In Dellien’s quarter-final match, the 29-year-old escaped a three hour, 36 minute marathon against seventh seed Franco Agamenone 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 7-6(5).

“I’m happy with how I played all week,” Dellien said. “I knew it was going to be a difficult final. I felt comfortable and very good physically.

“For me it is a pleasure to come to Chile and feel the love of the people. It is a very special tournament. I have always done well and I hope that every time I will return it will be like this.”

The premiere of the ATP Challenger Tour 175 category kicks off this week at the Arizona Tennis Classic, where a star-studded field features World No. 23 Matteo Berrettini and Argentine Diego Schwartzman.

All eight seeds in Phoenix are Top-60 players, including Jiri Lehecka, Richard Gasquet, and Alexander Bublik.

VIEW DRAW

A new innovation for 2023, the Challenger 175 tournaments are held during the second week of the ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Madrid, and Rome. Highly-ranked players who lose early at the Master 1000s can decide to compete at the following week’s Challenger tournament.

Berrettini, Schwartzman, and Gael Monfils were given wild cards into Phoenix after falling in the opening rounds of Indian Wells. The Italian Berrettini is aiming to repeat his success in Phoenix from 2019, when the-then World No. 57 collected the title.

Main-draw action kicks off at the Phoenix Country Club on Tuesday, 14 March. Intriguing first-round matches include Lehecka’s clash against Thanasi Kokkinakis and top seed Berrettini’s meeting with Ilya Ivashka, who pushed Daniil Medvevev to three sets at the BNP Paribas Open.

Phoenix qualifying begins Monday morning, with Aleksandar Kovacevic, Matteo Arnaldi, Rinky Hijikata, and Yosuke Watanuki among those aiming for a spot in the main draw.

Where can I watch the Phoenix Challenger?

All matches will be broadcasted live and on demand for free on Challenger TV. The Arizona Tennis Classic will be held 13-19 March.

One word for Phoenix…

STACKED 👏🤩#ATPChallenger | @aztennisclassic pic.twitter.com/qoBwuxTOzG

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) March 13, 2023

The Miami Open presented by Itau will hold the third edition of its successful ‘MIAMI OPEN UNITES’ campaign on Monday, March 20, 2023. This day of service brings together ATP and WTA players, Miami Open staff, and volunteers to help South Florida’s most vulnerable in various philanthropic initiatives across Miami-Dade County. ATP, WTA, Miami Open and Hologic are thrilled to also be able to show support with a financial contribution to participating organizations.

10:00 AM – Volunteers will assist Rebuilding Together in rehabilitating the home of Miami-Dade County’s veteran, Thomas Coates, retired Air Force E6 Sergeant. The players will paint and landscape, providing much-needed assistance to the organization. For more information on Rebuild Together, go to https://rebuildingtogether.org/ and @RebldgTogthr.

11:00 AM – The Humane Society of Greater Miami will have players and volunteers helping to groom animals, increasing their chances of adoption. The initiative aims to create a better life for the animals that need care and love. For more information the Humane Society of Greater Miami, go to http://www.humanesocietymiami.org/ and @HumaneMiami.

1:00 PM – Players will also help plant seedlings at Health in the Hood’s community garden, with all produce grown distributed free-of-charge to families, local food pantries, churches, and community centers. For more information on Health in the Hood, go to www.healthinthehood.org/ and @HealthInThehood.

2:00 PM – Players will participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ First Serve Miami Clinic at the Moore Park Tennis Center, founded by Miami Open founder Butch Buchholz and tennis legend Arthur Ashe. The clinic is designed to ignite the potential of at-risk youth (Littles) by matching them with committed adult mentors (Bigs). For more info go to www.bbbsmiami.org and www.firstservemiami.org.

3:00 PM – The Miami Rescue Mission will also receive players’ support to prep meals as they serve dinner to those living at the shelter, providing much-needed assistance to the homeless of South Florida. This effort is also being sponsored by Hologic and will have employees on-site to volunteer support. For more information on The Caring Place at the Miami Rescue Mission, go to www.caringplace.org.

“We are thrilled to hold the third edition of MIAMI OPEN UNITES,” said Miami Open’s Tournament Director, James Blake. “This initiative brings our players and volunteers together to make a positive impact on our community, showing that we all can make a difference when we unite for a common cause. It is truly a favorite initiative for both the players and staff.”

Follow the #MiamiOpenUnites campaign on social media and join the conversation as the Miami Open unites the South Florida community.

For more information about the Miami Open presented by Itau, please visit the official website at www.miamiopen.com.

For more information and the latest news, follow us at @Miami Open on Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter and @MiamiOpenTennis on Facebook.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

The 2023 ATP Tour season is just three and a half months old, but Francisco Cerundolo has already hit an important milestone. On 13 February, the 24-year-old leapfrogged Diego Schwartzman to become the highest-ranked Argentine in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time.

A strong start to his main-draw debut at this fortnight’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells means Cerundolo will meet eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Monday for a spot in the last 16. Yet there are some aspects of the World No. 32’s tennis journey that might surprise fans…

Until how recently did he string his own racquets on Tour? How has becoming more well-known helped him (and his friends!) when out on the town in Buenos Aires? Why did he ask his practice partner Fabio Fognini for a selfie? ATPTour.com caught up with the Argentine for the latest edition of our ‘Last Time’ Q & A series.

When was the last time you missed a flight?
I actually don’t remember… I’m not one for missing flights. I’d say I never have, if it has ever happened to me, it was because a flight was delayed and I missed the connection, but not something that was my fault.

When was the last time you lost something important?
This one I have done. I remember in 2019, I lost my passport at the airport in the USA. I had to go to the embassy in Chicago, where they made me an express one so that I could get on the plane and return to Argentina.

When was the last time you paid to rent a tennis court or bought tennis balls?
This one’s tough… Maybe when I was a boy, but because my dad had an academy, we always had tennis courts, or he paid for it and I didn’t know!

When was the last time being famous helped you out?
When I go out and have fun with my friends, it’s them more than me. They use my name, and [sometimes] it makes things easier, we get good service!

When was the last time you strung a racket?
I used to do restrings when I was a boy… In fact, until 2019, I think, I used to string my own rackets with a portable machine that I would take everywhere.

When was the last time you cooked for other people?
In November, I rented a house for me and all my friends. That was my holiday, and several times I had to do the asado (barbeque).

When was the last time you met a childhood hero?
In tennis, in 2021, when I started to play ATP and I crossed paths with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.

When was the last time you asked someone for a selfie?
I’m not one for taking many selfies. At Wimbledon in 2022 I was training with Fognini and my mum wanted a photo of me with Fabio and I asked him, but it was just for her.

When was the last time you went to a concert?
In December I went to see Duki, Bad Bunny and Lit Killah in Buenos Aires. It was amazing.

When was the last time you went to a live sports event that wasn’t tennis?
Football matches at River [Plate]. Last time was in 2022, and whenever I’m in Buenos Aires, I like to go and watch a match.

When was the last time you visited an ATP Tour event for the first time?
It wasn’t the last time, but the most special was in Buenos Aires, a few years ago… I remember it was a match with Zeballos on centre court. I was a boy, and we were with my dad.