The current title holder, Alex de Minaur, has progressed to the championship match of the Mexican Open as Jack Draper withdrew from their semi-final match in the third set.
The third-seeded Australian won the first set 6-3, dropped the second 6-2 and was leading 4-0 in the third when Draper, who was visibly diminished physically, called it quits.
In the final, De Minaur will go up against either Casper Ruud or Holger Rune.
“I am pleased to have made it to the final, but I am concerned about Jack’s well-being,” stated de Minaur.
“He possesses an exceptional skill and hopefully he will be able to recuperate for the upcoming competitions.”
“It can be challenging to compete against an opponent who is not in good physical condition, but it is important to maintain your concentration.”
The ninth-ranked player in the world and the highest-ranked player in Australia won nine consecutive matches in Mexico, making him the first defending champion since Spain’s David Ferrer in 2013 to reach the Acapulco final.
De Minaur has won a total of seven ATP titles throughout his career, with his most recent being at Acapulco last year.
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Unfortunately, Draper was participating in his inaugural semi-final match at an ATP 500 tournament, but he had to retire from the court during the decisive set due to an undisclosed sickness.
As the second set was coming to a close, the 22-year-old’s illness started causing problems. Draper sought treatment from both the physiotherapist and the tournament doctor.
