Defending champion Alex de Minaur into Mexican Open final as Jack Draper retires
Defending champion Alex de Minaur has advanced to the final of the Mexican Open after Jack Draper retired in the third set of their last-four clash.
The third-seeded Australian won the first set 6-3, dropped the second 6-2 and was leading 4-0 in the third when Draper, who was visibly diminished physically, called it quits.
De Minaur will face Casper Ruud in the final after the Norwegian defeated Holger Rune of Denmark in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
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“I’m happy to be in the final, but I’m hoping that Jack is doing fine,” de Minaur said.
“He has a tremendous talent and hopefully he can recover for the upcoming tournaments.
“It’s hard to play when your opponent is not OK physically, but you need to remain focused.”
Draper was playing in his first semi-final of an ATP 500 tournament but was forced to leave the court in the final set because of an undisclosed illness.
The 22-year-old’s illness became an issue towards the end of the second set, with Draper receiving treatment from the physiotherapist and tournament doctor.
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De Minaur won his ninth straight match in Mexico as he became the first defending champion to reach the Acapulco final since Spain’s David Ferrer in 2013.
The world No 9 and Australia’s top-ranked men’s player has seven career ATP titles, with last year at Acapulco his most recent.