Italian Open: Draper comes back to defeat Moutet, sets QF clash with Alcaraz

His win sets up a third clash of the year against Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz with the duo having split the results in the two encounters.

Following his marathon match with Holger Rune, Moutet came on court against Draper playing his absolute best tennis from the get-go, possibly knowing that his tank would not last for three sets His crafty game left the Brit completely out of answers for the first half hour, but Draper slowly started to find a way back.

Moutet tried to force the 5th seed to play on the run, but more and more often, Draper managed to read the variations and drop shots better, and the Frenchman started to become more erratic. The 5th seed took the first break of his match after a few close games, but was broken right away while serving for the set at 5-3.

Yet, Draper's attitude had shifted to a more positive one, and he did not let the missed chance get to his mind. His heavy balls forced Moutet onto the back foot, and Draper broke once again to force a decider. Despite the momentum shift, the Frenchman managed to stay close in the third set, holding on to his serve, but his energy reserves looked slimmer and slimmer.

At 4-3, Draper broke — and this time, he didn't let the opportunity slip through his hands, closing it out on the first match point. Draper and Alcaraz have already met twice this season, with the Spaniard winning their match in Melbourne when the Brit was forced to retire, and Draper taking revenge in Indian Wells. This will be the first time they face each other on clay.