Jack Draper’s behaviour towards Andy Roddick revealed after pre-US Open controversy
Andy Roddick has said that Jack Draper “couldn’t have been nicer” to him after he recently criticised the tennis star before the start of the US Open.
The 22-year-old will face Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the competition today and try to win the first Grand Slam of his career.
Before the tournament began, however, Draper was the subject of controversy.
The tennis star hit a volley into the ground on his match point against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Cincinnati Masters tournament last month, with Draper being awarded the win.
Jack Draper recently met Andy Roddick after being criticized by the tennis legend before the US Open
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His opponent was furious and Roddick said the Brit knew he had made a mistake but did not admit it.
But Roddick has revealed that he has no problem with Draper and that the US Open star “couldn’t have been nicer” when their paths crossed recently.
“It was a huge story, but I’m not mad at anyone,” the former world number one said in his podcast.
“I’m angry about the rule. The lack of common sense on the part of the rules committee.
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“Guess who I met in the locker room this morning… Jack Draper. After I told him he’d been stabbing me in the back all week.
“And he couldn’t have been nicer. I thought he definitely wasn’t listening to (Roddick’s podcast)!”
“He didn’t cheat. That wasn’t his decision. That’s not his job, he has enough to do.”
“I really like Jack Draper. I’m a fan of his game. He can embarrass a lot of people with his strong left-hand serve.”
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Roddick also hopes that Draper will stun De Minaur later in the day.
The Briton has lost all three of his previous encounters with the Australian, including one at the Mexican Open in March.
But Roddick is convinced that Draper has enough potential to gain the upper hand and advance to the next round of the competition.
“I’ll go with Draper,” he said.
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Jack Draper couldn’t have been nicer to Andy Roddick when they met at the US Open
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“To impress Demon (De Minaur) you need a massive serve. He doesn’t miss many returns. He’s very, very fast, but I like Draper here.
“Jack Draper’s backhand was very average and that’s coming from someone whose backhand was below average.
“He also made some strange mistakes sometimes, but he seemed rock solid. The return is there.
“I walked past him in the dressing room and he’s a big guy. It’s a big mammal.
Jack Draper is just three wins away from US Open glory
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“There is great progress in this game, no matter where it goes from here.”
Draper is aiming to become the third Briton to win the US Open this century.
Andy Murray won the trophy in 2012, Emma Raducanu secured the glory three years ago.
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