Home / Sports / Opelka's Ace Barrage Ends Draper's Miami Open Run
Opelka's Ace Barrage Ends Draper's Miami Open Run
21 Mar
Summary
- Reilly Opelka's 25 aces secured a 7-6, 7-6 victory over Jack Draper.
- Draper continues his comeback from a seven-month injury layoff.
- Katie Boulter advanced after her opponent retired due to injury.
Reilly Opelka's powerful serving performance led to Jack Draper's early exit from the Miami Open. Opelka fired 25 aces, overwhelming Draper in a 7-6, 7-6 victory. Draper, seeded 25th, is in the early stages of his return to competition following a seven-month layoff due to a bone bruise injury. This Miami tournament is only his third ATP event since recovery.
Opelka, who embraces the 'servebot' label, demonstrated his formidable serving game, rendering Draper unable to create break opportunities. Despite not being broken, Draper struggled to counter Opelka's serve. Draper acknowledged the difficulty, stating he was in the early stages of his comeback and satisfied with competing in recent tournaments.
In other news, Katie Boulter continued her strong form by reaching the third round. Her opponent, 17th seed Clara Tauson, retired from their match due to injury when Boulter was leading 7-6, 6-4, 1-0. Boulter, who has climbed back into the top 63 rankings after a challenging previous season, is showing impressive resilience. She will next face Karolina Muchova.
