Friends become foes in Wednesday's blockbuster Italian Open quarter-final, as Jack Draper and Carlos Alcaraz meet for the sixth time at the top level.
The British number one dug incredibly deep to eliminate Corentin Moutet in the fourth round, while the third seed also needed three sets to take care of business against Karen Khachanov on Tuesday.
Match preview
© Imago
Far from his big-hitting best against Vit Kopriva in the third round - after which he admitted the unfamiliar volume of matches was taking its toll on him - a day's rest was ostensibly not enough for Draper if the first set against Moutet was anything to go by.
The Indian Wells champion initially struggled to cope with the Frenchman's variety, while also not helping himself with a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes, but he quickly consigned a shoddy opening set to history and triumphed 1-6 6-4 6-3 in a rollercoaster encounter.
Draper benefitted from a dose of technology drama in more ways than one on Tuesday, when an incensed Moutet demanded a video replay of what he felt was the ball bouncing twice before the Briton won the point, but the Frenchman's pleas ultimately fell on deaf ears.
As well as moving onto 101 wins on the ATP Tour overall, Draper already has nine clay-court victories under his belt in 2025 - more than in all of his previous years combined - and he will become the youngest British man to compete in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open singles tournament.
Furthermore, after suffering defeat in his first two ATP 1000 last-eight encounters at the 2022 Canadian Open and 2024 Cincinnati Masters, Draper has won both of his last such matches in Indian Wells and Madrid this year, although a familiar and fierce competitor now stands in his way.
© Imago
Already boasting one Masters clay-court crown in 2025 in the shape of the Monte-Carlo Masters trophy, third seed Alcaraz is - believe it or not - competing in the last eight of the Italian Open for the first time in his still embryonic career.
The reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion had only ever participated in the 2023 edition before returning to Roman soil this time around, where he felled two Serbians in Laslo Djere and Dusan Lajovic before squaring up to Russia's Khachanov.
A second-set blip threatened to end Alcaraz's Italian Open campaign prematurely, but he held his nerve to advance with a 6-3 3-6 7-5 victory in just under two and a half hours, making up for 46 unforced errors with 41 winners to Khachanov's 17.
Exhaustion almost got the better of the four-time major winner on Tuesday, but by completing the set of Masters quarter-finals - having also advanced to the last eight of every other ATP 1000 event - he is the second youngest to progress that far at all nine tournaments after Rafael Nadal.
Furthermore, only Nadal and Stefan Edberg have now reached 75 Masters match wins in quicker time than Alcaraz - who has taken just 98 contests to hit that mark - and a 76th from 99 would lead to a tantalising semi-final with one of Alexander Zverev, Arthur Fils, Daniil Medvedev or Lorenzo Musetti.
Tournament so far
Jack Draper:
First round: vs. Bye
Second round: vs. Luciano Darderi 6-1 6-4
Third round: vs. Vit Kopriva 6-4 6-3
Round of 16: vs. Corentin Moutet 1-6 6-4 6-3
Carlos Alcaraz:
First round: Bye
Second round: vs. Dusan Lajovic 6-3 6-3
Third round: vs. Laslo Djere 7-6[2] 6-2
Round of 16: vs. Karen Khachanov 6-3 3-6 7-5
Head To Head
Indian Wells Masters (2025) - Semi-final: Draper wins 6-1 0-6 6-4
Australian Open (2025) - Last 16: Alcaraz wins 7-5 6-1 ret.
Queen's Club Championships (2024) - Last 16: Draper wins 7-6[3] 6-3
Indian Wells Masters (2023) - Last 16: Alcaraz wins 6-2 2-0 ret.
Swiss Indoors (2022) - First Round: Alcaraz wins 3-6 6-2 7-5
Draper and Alcaraz - two good pals off the court - have already done battle on five occasions in ATP Tour singles matches, and the Spaniard just boasts the head-to-head bragging rights with three triumphs compared to Draper's two.
However, two one of those victories for Alcaraz came due to a Draper retirement in this year's Australian Open and the 2023 Indian Wells Masters; his only full-match beating of the Briton came in their inaugural clash in Basel three years ago.
Meanwhile, Draper came up trumps on the grass of Queen's last year and in the Indian Wells semi-finals a matter of weeks ago, but Wednesday's clash will be their first on the clay.
We say: Alcaraz to win in three sets
It would be reasonable to suggest that neither Draper nor Alcaraz are operating at the peak of their powers right now; the British number one has been slightly off-colour in his last two wins, while Alcaraz admitted that his body almost failed him last time out.
Their inaugural meeting on the red dirt does throw in an element of unpredictability, but with Draper looking in desperate need of a rest, we have faith in Alcaraz to conquer his close friend in a clash that should still live up to the billing.
Ben Knapton
