Briton Jack Draper has made it to the round of 16 at the US Open without dropping a single set.

In addition, his stroke average was only broken once in all three matches, most recently on Saturday when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz’s conqueror Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Draper will next face 23-year-old Czech Thomas Machac – live on Sky Sports Tennis from around 6pm on Monday – for a place in the quarter-finals. Draper’s form, confidence and the opportunity that has opened up in his section of the tournament give him the chance of a lifetime, perhaps even a taste of Grand Slam glory.

Third seed Carlos Alcaraz and seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz have already been eliminated from Draper’s section. Tenth seed Alex de Minaur is the highest-ranked player remaining in a section in which one player will reach the semifinals.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic has also already been eliminated in a tournament full of surprises. Sky Sports Tennis Analysts Tim Henman and Laura Robson point out the opportunity that now presents itself to Draper.

“We looked at that part of the draw and it opened up,” Henman said.

“It’s just so important that he (Draper) really focuses on his preparation and performance and doesn’t overexert himself.

“They (the players in this section of the draw) will all be aware that this is a great opportunity.”

Robson added: “It’s all wide open. Jordan Thompson knocked out the other top seed in this section by beating Hubert Hurkacz and having De Minaur as the top seed I think is an opportunity for a lot of players.

“Especially for Jack, when we are excited and looking forward.

“De Minaur was not completely healthy before this tournament, he still had problems with his hip and has not played properly since Wimbledon.

“It feels like an opportunity.”

Draper clinical and professional, but there is still much to improve

Draper’s first thoughts on the sidelines after the victory over Van de Zandschulp were that he had been “solid but combative” and “a bit inconsistent”.

It was a feeling shared by Sky Sports Analysts Martina Navratilova and Feliciano Lopez, as well as Henman and Robson, said the Briton’s attacking game at the net, his volleys and his first serve rate were all areas for improvement.

“Jack (Draper) really played a very mature match. He knew where the important points were, he was focused and defended his serve brilliantly,” said Navratilova.

“Van de Zandschulp won one of ten break points. That’s how well Jack defended his serve. Twice he hit an ace in the same place on break points.

“Botic had his chances, but Jack played the important points much better and won five of his eight break points. In all important statistics, Jack was better.”

“If the conversion of the break points was different, Botic can win in two sets. But instead it was a very straightforward performance from Jack. Just really solid.”

Lopez added: “He (Draper) played a very mature and professional game and that’s the game he had to play.

“He’s in a great position now. He goes into the second week of a Grand Slam without losing a set, he’s only lost his serve once.

“The physical condition of a player is very important and always plays an important role in Grand Slams. It is great news that he will go into the second week in top form.”

“Last year he reached the fourth round, I think this year he could go a little further.

“I would like to see him at the net more. I think he’s comfortable beating most players from behind lately, but that’s not the way he needs to play all the time.

“He’s such a big guy. If he went to the goal a little more often, it would be very difficult for his opponents to land passing shots. He can cover the goal very well.

“He has a good feel for the ball. His game still needs to improve a lot, but he looks like he’s in a great moment in his career. I really like Jack. He seems very relaxed and has calmed down and I think that’s a good sign.”

Robson said Sky Sports Tennis: “It was solid. I think the score doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story of the match, especially the first set and the fact that he (Draper) had so many break points.

“He managed to overcome them and I think he was a bit stubborn at times and kept repeating the serve that he had missed and trying to flatten it rather than sticking with the serve that was working so well.

“When he was under pressure, he took the spots that serve him so well. All in all, he’ll be happy to have done it in two hours and 15 minutes. It wasn’t a particularly difficult game.”

“I thought he could have gotten to the net more often. And his first volley needs to be improved a bit. He tried too hard on the drop volley and it just became predictable.”

“But he’ll be happy to get through the second week and Jack just seems so confident these days.

“It’s fun that he made it to the second week and we can talk about what he could have done better today.

“The fact that he managed 103 serves today compared to Botic who managed 70, and that’s asking more than you would like at this stage of the tournament. The fact that he’s through is the most important thing.”

Henman added: “If you look at it overall, it’s pretty routine. In his three games so far he hasn’t really been in too many difficult situations and we have to remember that Van de Zandschulp just knocked out Carlos Alcaraz. He was a different player today and didn’t play as well.”

“Jack was very professional, maintained his intensity and the first set ended 6-3, but was much closer.

“At the end of the match, Van de Zandschulp, with his left serve at full speed, didn’t know where Draper was going to hit.

“He was so solid, Jack will be absolutely happy with his performance.

“If you think about the match, he can do a lot better. His first serve percentage in the first set was 41, so he was under pressure in three or four service games.

“On the volleys, he seems to bend from the hip rather than the knee. He’s still a player who has a lot of improvement to make, and he made it to the fourth round. That’s good.”

What’s on Sky Sports Tennis in September?

• Jasmin Open, Tunisia – WTA 250 (9-15 September)
• Guadalajara Open, Mexico – WTA 500 (September 9-15)
• Korea Open – WTA 500 (September 16-22 – with Emma Raducanu in action)
• Thailand Open – WTA 250 (September 16-22)
• Chengdu Open, China – ATP 250 (September 18-24)
• Hangzhou Open, China – ATP 250 (September 18-24)
• China Open – WTA 1000 (25 September – 6 October)
• Japan Open – ATP 500 (25 September – 1 October)
• China Open – ATP 500 (26 September – 2 October)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, the streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app. This will give Sky Sports customers access to over 50 percent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.