Jack Draper Wins Over Sebastian Baez At Adelaide International

 

Jack Draper dominated fifth seed Sebastian Baez to reach the last 16 at the Adelaide International; Katie Boulter knocked out by Ana Bogdan in closely-fought contest

Britain's Jack Draper produced a dominant performance in his first match of 2024 to thrash fifth seed Sebastian Baez 6-1 6-3 at the Adelaide International.

Draper needed just 79 minutes to overcome his Argentine opponent, who at No. 26 is currently 12 places above him in the world rankings

The 22-year-old, who ended 2023 strongly with a Grand Slam-best run to the last 16 at the US Open followed by a first tour-level final in Bulgaria, picked up exactly where he left off

Baez, who had been knocked out in the opening round of the Brisbane International last week, was unable to force a break point as Draper dominated on serve.

The Brit, meanwhile, took four of his five opportunities to break in a performance that provides plenty of encouragement ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday.