Draper beats Rune to win Indian Wells title

Jack Draper becomes the fifth British player to win an ATP Masters 1,000 event

Britain's Jack Draper claimed the biggest title of his career with an assured win over Denmark's Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final.

Draper, 23, was dominant from the start as he brushed aside world number 13 Rune 6-2 6-2.

Lifting his first trophy at an ATP Masters event - the tier below the four Grand Slam tournaments - capped a landmark weekend for the British number one.

After beating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday's semi-finals, 14th-ranked Draper was already guaranteed to climb into the world's top 10 for the first time - whatever happened against 21-year-old Rune.

The straight-set victory means the English left-hander will move up to seventh in the ATP rankings on Monday.

"I'm incredibly happy, obviously, and incredibly proud of my achievements this week," Draper told BBC Sport.

After sending a forehand long on his first championship point, Draper completed the job at the second attempt when Rune pushed a return wide with the Briton rushing to the net.

The US Open semi-finalist celebrated in composed fashion - smiling towards his support team, before kneeling down on court and contentedly patting the surface.

"I said at the end of last year I wanted to be competing with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and all the players who are competing for big titles," added Draper.

"It's one thing saying it but it's another thing doing it. To back up six matches here at the highest level against tough opponents is something I've been working hard to be able to achieve."

From talented teenager to top 10 in world

Even in his junior days, Draper was identified as the player most likely to take over the mantle from three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray as Britain's leading star on the ATP Tour.

Over the past 12 months the 2018 Wimbledon boys' finalist has got there - but it has not been a journey without hurdles.

A series of physical issues hampered Draper's progress in his early days as a professional, but he has continued to keep working hard in a bid to find solutions.

Managing to stay fit over the past two seasons has paid dividends.

Days after becoming his nation's leading men's player last year, his maiden tour title came at an ATP 250 grass-court event in Stuttgart.

Since then he has continued to climb each rung of the ladder.

In October, just a month after reaching the first Grand Slam semi-final of his career in New York, he lifted another title at the hard-court ATP 500 tournament in Vienna.

Now he has become only the fifth British player to win a Masters event - at the Californian tournament widely known as the sport's fifth major.

"I feel I deserve it, the amount of adversity I've been through and the sacrifices - it is an emotional feeling to know much you've gone through," Draper said.

"To stand here and say I'll be seventh in the world - I can't say how much that means."

How focused Draper won Indian Wells title

Just as he did during the semi-final win over two-time defending champion Alcaraz, Draper made a fast start which sapped his opponent's confidence.

The Briton showcased the accurate serving which had been the bedrock of his run to the final, as well as regularly putting a tense Rune's first serve back into play - and hit ripping winners from the baseline.

Two breaks of Rune's serve were backed up with rapid holds to keep piling on pressure, with a 4-0 lead quickly turning into a 5-1 advantage.

Draper did not lose a first-serve point until the game where he closed out the opening set.

The manner of his dominance led to a ruffled Rune going off court for a mental reset - despite having only been playing for 29 minutes.

Draper pounced for another break at the start of the second set, maintaining his lead by continuing to bully Rune with deep forehand returns.

Even regular dialogue with his team could not help get the increasingly animated Rune back on track.

A poor service game handed Draper the cushion of a double break at 5-2 and the chance to serve out for the title.

Draper had wobbled when trying to see out victories against third seed Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals and four-time major champion Alcaraz in the last four.

But there was no sign of anxiety when serving out for the championship - another indicator of Draper now truly believing he belongs among the very best.

"I think the new experiences, and new emotions, got the better of me against Carlos," he said.

"Turning around that third set massively helped my confidence."