Tennis fans were left stunned as Indian Wells champion Jack Draper’s pursuit of the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ title came to an abrupt end in Miami. In a nail-biting second round showdown, the 6th seed was outplayed by the formidable Czech youngster, Jakub Mensik. The match, which lasted an hour and 54 minutes, saw Draper fall 7-6, 7-6 to the relentless Mensik.
This victory marked yet another triumph over a top-10 player for the Czech teen, who secured his spot in the third round. Despite a spirited performance, Draper’s efforts were insufficient to ward off the onslaught from his adversary. This defeat made Draper the first Indian Wells champion to stumble at his first match in Miami since Dominic Thiem in 2019.
The match began with Draper leading 3-1 in the first set. However, he couldn’t hold onto this advantage and was defeated in the tie break. The second set saw no breaks; Mensik’s steady nerve saw him rise to the top and dismiss world number 7, Draper.
In this riveting encounter, the 19-year-old Mensik’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. He outscored the 6th seed by eight points, making significant strides with his first serve. Mensik lost just 19 points in his games, while Draper had to labor intensely to stay in the game.
Draper, a top-10 star, ceded 34% of the points from his initial shot. Despite deflecting eight of the nine break points, his valiant efforts could not prevent a straight-set defeat. Mensik, on the other hand, was in top form, firing 46 winners and committing a mere 27 unforced errors.
Mensik displayed superior skills, reducing Draper to a 27-27 ratio. The Czech player secured a slight edge in service winners, from the baseline and at the net, and clinched the victory with a solid performance during the crucial moments.
The match kicked off with Draper breaking in the first game. After holding at love twice and securing a 3-1 lead within 12 minutes with a forehand winner, Draper lost a game point at 3-2. Mensik capitalized on this with a forehand error on a break point, equalizing the score and regaining momentum.
A tie break was introduced after 48 minutes with both players serving well. However, world number 7 Draper’s routine forehand went wide on the third point, placing him at a 4-1 disadvantage after a series of powerful serves by Mensik. The Czech ace then won the first set 7-6 in 52 minutes after converting his first of four set points.
The second set started with a challenging test for Draper at 1-1. He managed to erase four break points and held with a service winner to stay in the game. After overcoming the second and last break point, Mensik took a 2-2 lead.
Despite facing a volley winner for two break chances, Mensik held his ground. After four comfortable holds from 4-4, another tie break was arranged. Mensik then landed an ace on the second match point, celebrating a high-profile victory and leaving his imprint on the Miami Open 2025.