Jack Draper’s pursuit of a maiden Queen’s title came to an end after losing to Jiri Lehecka over three sets in the semi-final.
Lehecka defeated the Briton 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, to advance to the biggest final of his career in West London.
Draper, who will enter Wimbledon as the fourth seed, forced a second set against the Czech star, but ultimately couldn’t get over the line against his red-hot opponent in front of a home crowd.
It was a tight contest between the two 23-year-olds at Queen’s, in which former Australian Open finalist John Lloyd said the margins were ‘so small’.
John Lloyd pinpoints the ‘real difference’ between Jack Draper and Jiri Lehecka
Speaking on BBC after the match, Lloyd said: “When you play a grass-court match between two players who serve this well and return this well, it really comes down to a couple of points here and there.
“The real difference was Lehecka in the third set, towards the end, his serve carried on at the great level it was. Jack Draper just missed a few first serves, and that was the difference. The margins are so small.”
On Lehecka, he said: “His serve is brilliant, it’s a quick motion. It sets himself up, if he doesn’t serve an ace, it’s almost an ace, then he whacks that forehand, he’s so precise, his groundstrokes, he’s been so well coached.
“It looks like not much can go wrong with his game, if he can get a little bit more feel around the middle of the court with the short shots, what a player he could be.
“Well, he’s a huge threat. He’s not a player where there’s a weakness you can go at. He moves well on the court, he’s got so much power and his return of serve, when he can get his eyes in, he returns brilliantly.
“He had Jack on the defensive a lot in that last set. He’s an all-around player; he’s got so many weapons on this surface.”
Jamie Murray says Jiri Lehecka is a ‘unit’ after the Queen’s semi-final
The Queen’s tournament director, Jamie Murray, said of Lehecka after the match: “He’s a unit. He’s a big boy.
“He’s a very powerful player, he’s serving that last game, they’ve been playing two hours, and he’s still serving 136 to close out the match, giving the ball a good crack.
“He’s got a solid serve that’s for sure. On his day, he’s incredibly dangerous because he doesn’t need to be asked twice to pull the trigger.”
“He’s not afraid to come forward, on grass that’s going to bode well for him.”
Murray continued: “He’s going to have plenty of opportunities to do that. When you’re serving 130, it’s going to come back short at times; he’s going to have the chance to hit the approach shot and come in. That’s something he’s been doing well all week.”
Lehecka now has the chance to win his third career title, and his second of the season so far.
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