By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday October 19 2022
Hubert Hurkacz outlasted Jack Draper in Antwerp to reach the quarterfinals.
Photo Source: Tennis Tv
Hubert Hurkacz has two players between himself and a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, but the Pole is still battling as the 2022 season nears its close.
On Wednesday the World No.11 got past Jack Draper 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals at the European Open in Antwerp. He will face either Dominic Thiem or Francisco Cerundolo next.
Hurkacz is currently ninth in the Race to Milan standings, and would need to get to No.7 to qualify (Novak Dkjokovic, currently 10th, has already qualified on the strength of his Wimbledon title). He is behind Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliasime.
Auger-Aliassime is the No.2 seed at Antwerp, and Fritz is inactive this week.
Hurkacz, who qualified for the ATP Finals in 2021, lost all three singles matches in Turin. He began the week 295 points behind Auger-Aliassime and 115 points behind Fritz.
After Draper rallied from a break down to force a third set, the British 21-year-old suffered from cramps in the fourth game of the fourth set and couldn’t muster much from there.
“He’s an incredible player and it was fun to play against him,” said Hurkacz. “Definitely Jack was hurting at the end – really tough to play in those situations when you don’t feel 100 percent.”
Hurkacz improves to 39-18 on the season while Draper drops to 16-10.
Elsewhere in Antwerp Dominic Thiem reached the second round, defeating Michael Geerts, 6-4, 6-0 to tip his overall record at tour-level to 15-14.
Jaume Munar defeated Yoshihito Nishioka, 6-1, 7-6(3), Richard Gasquet topped Dominic Stricker, 7-6(6), 7-5 and Dan Evans defeated Constant Lestienne 6-2, 6-1.