Britain's Draper reaches Stuttgart Open final

Britain's Jack Draper is into nan 3rd ATP last of his profession - and nan first connected writer - aft breezing past unseeded American Brandon Nakashima astatine nan Stuttgart Open.

The 22-year-old sixth seed, who hit defending champion Frances Tiafoe, of nan USA, successful nan quarter-finals, deed 13 aces and 35 winners successful a 6-3 6-3 victory.

Draper will move up to 32nd successful nan world, nary matter what happens successful Sunday's final, and into a imaginable seeded position for Wimbledon, which starts connected 1 July.

He will beryllium confirmed arsenic nan British number 1 connected Monday, moving supra Cameron Norrie, and is now 1 lucifer distant from a first singles title connected nan elite men's tour.

Draper will meet either Italian fifth-seed Lorenzo Musetti aliases erstwhile Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini successful Sundays' final.

Berretini is unseeded successful nan tourney aft slipping to 95 successful nan world rankings pursuing a bid of injuries, but nan Italian is simply a two-time erstwhile victor successful Stuttgart and has claimed 4 of his 8 profession titles connected grass.