Jack Draper has reached his first ATP Tour semi-final after beating fellow Briton Ryan Peniston in straight sets at Eastbourne.
Peniston was playing his second match of the day having only completed his last-16 win over Pedro Martinez earlier on Thursday.
In his quarter-final, the British No. 6 was no match for the nation’s No. 4, with 20-year-old Draper enjoying a 6-3 6-3 win.
Draper, ranked 108 in the world after reaching a career-high 99 earlier this month, was broken straight away, but bounced back with two breaks of his own to clinch the first set.
He trailed again in the second set with Peniston hoping to force a decider, but from 3-1 down Draper won five games on the spin – including three breaks – to seal the match.
“Ryan is an unbelievable player, a great guy, we train together all the time. He’s really good for me,” Draper said on court afterwards.
“To be a part of it [the Brits at Eastbourne] is amazing. Everyone’s on the same wavelength, we want to push each other and hopefully we’ll get more people up the rankings.
“I’m getting more comfortable every week. I learned lessons from Queen’s, and I hope tomorrow I can put on a show.”
Draper faces Maxime Cressy for a place in the final next, with the American beating British No. 1 Cameron Norrie.
“He’s a unique player. Anyone who serves and volleys is a tough challenge, but I’m looking forward to it,” Draper added.
Norrie, who was the tournament’s top seed, lost 7-5 7-5 to the American.
Norrie led by a break before Cressy hit back thanks to his serve and volleying to take the opening set. Norrie lost the set on his serve as a strike off the net cord handed Cressy the opener.
The Brit had the first break point of the second set, but he squandered it before some sloppy serving handed Cressy the initiative.
Norrie saved three match points at 0-40 down when he was trailing 5-4, but Cressy converted his fourth to reach the semis.
It was also a day to forget for Britain’s Harriet Dart who lost 6-3 6-4 to Petra Kvitova.
Dart was put under pressure on her own serve early on and went a break down in the sixth game before the Czech went on to comfortably serve out the set.
Momentum was with Kvitova and she broke Dart in the opening game of the second set which proved pivotal as she held her remaining service games.
Kvitova, who also knocked out Brit Katie Boulter in the round of 16, will play either Beatriz Haddad Maia or Lesia Tsurenko next.
