Queen's: Carlos Alcaraz extends career-best streak after tonsillitis-impacted Jack Draper knocked out

Carlos Alcaraz will compete for his second Queen's title in three seasons after seeing off veteran compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in Saturday's second semi-final.

The top seed took out the 37-year-old 6-4 6-4 in a stress-free encounter to set up a championship match with Jiri Lehecka, who upset home hope Jack Draper in the day's first final-four contest.

Alcaraz - who clinched his maiden Queen's title in 2023 before falling to good friend Draper in last year's edition - had failed to blow any of his previous three foes away in the earlier rounds, dropping at least four games in every set leading up to the weekend.

That trend continued against Bautista Agut, but the Wimbledon and French Open champion's superior athleticism and varied shot-making proved too hot for the experienced Spaniard to counteract.

Alcaraz faced just one break point all afternoon - which he saved - and fired a brilliant 15 aces en route to a 17th straight singles victory at the top level.

The world number two is revelling in the longest winning streak of his career and will now contest his sixth singles final of 2025; his only defeat in the previous five came against Holger Rune in Barcelona.

Alcaraz denied Draper battle amid Briton's illness

However, Alcaraz will not get a shot at Queen's revenge against good friend Draper, who came out on the wrong end of a three-set thriller against the Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka.

Draper was taken the distance by Brandon Nakashima and Alexei Popyrin in his previous two contests, but he could not repeat his three-set trick for a third time as Lehecka advanced with a 6-4 4-6 7-5 win in just over two hours.

Outdone on the aces front 16 to 14, Draper also took just one of the six break point opportunities he fashioned on the Lehecka serve and took out his frustration on the advertising boards after losing serve in the penultimate game.

The world number six subsequently revealed in his post-match press conference that he had been under the weather with tonsillitis leading up to the semi-final, saying: "I haven't felt good all week. Today's probably the worst I've felt.

"Did I think about withdrawing? No, not at all. I'm in the semi-finals at Queen's. I'd probably go on court with a broken leg. I wouldn't have pulled out for anything. I went out there, gave all I had, and I can be very proud of that. And also, it's not an excuse. It's just the way I feel."

Nevertheless, Draper's run to the last four means that he has secured a top-four seeding for Wimbledon, while Lehecka is through to his maiden grass-court final and fifth overall.

Written by
Ben Knapton