Jack Draper has achieved the most significant final of his career by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling match at Indian Wells.
His victory was partly influenced by a highly unusual double VAR review during a critical moment in the semi-final.
Draper, aged 23, shocked Alcaraz, the current French Open and Wimbledon champion, in their highly anticipated semi-final match at Indian Wells.
This prestigious tournament, part of the Masters 1000 series and just a level below the Grand Slams, is often considered the “fifth Major”.
The No. 13 seed, Draper, is set to compete against No. 12 seed Holger Rune in the final on Sunday in the Californian desert.
Their match against Alcaraz was a rollercoaster, featuring a peculiar incident early in the decisive set.
Draper dominated the first set 6-1, but Alcaraz responded strongly, taking the second set 6-0 in just 53 minutes of total play.
A crucial moment occurred when Alcaraz was serving at 1-1, 15-15 in the third set.
Following an intense rally, Alcaraz executed a drop shot against his British opponent.
Draper sprinted to reach the ball and managed to flick it back over the net, prompting Alcaraz to chase after it.
However, umpire Mohamed Lahyani promptly announced “not up,” indicating his belief that Draper had not returned the ball before its second bounce, thus awarding the point to Alcaraz.
Draper, convinced of his clean return, immediately protested to the umpire, who seemed to realize his potential error.
Utilizing the new video technology in tennis, Lahyani reviewed the play using his headset.
The replay clearly showed Draper had indeed hit the ball before the second bounce, and Lahyani acknowledged his mistake.
The umpire announced that the point would be replayed due to his incorrect call.
However, Draper then requested a second video review, arguing that he should be awarded the point as Alcaraz was unlikely to have returned the shot.
Draper argued, “He wasn`t even close to the ball. Mohamed, he was nowhere near. Can we review that as well?”
Lahyani initially hesitated but agreed to review the incident again, including Alcaraz`s subsequent missed shot.
He then confirmed, “After review, ladies and gentlemen, the `not up` call was late, so the point is awarded to Mr. Draper.”
This decision was met with cheers and applause from the audience.
Alcaraz, who theoretically could have requested a third review to consider if the initial call had distracted him, and Draper briefly discussed the situation at the net before resuming play.
This decision proved pivotal as Draper won the next two points, breaking Alcaraz`s serve.
He secured another break for 5-2, and despite being broken back when serving for the match, Draper confidently closed out the match at 5-4 on his first match point.
Draper has now won two out of three matches against Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, including a previous victory at Queen`s last summer.
The British player, aiming for his first major title after winning ATP 250 and ATP 500 titles in 2024, will face Rune in what is arguably the most important match of his career. Rune advanced after defeating Daniil Medvedev in their semi-final.
