Draper's hopes of reaching Queen's final ended by Lehecka

Jack Draper's hopes of winning Queen's were ended by Jiri Lehecka when the British number one was beaten in a thrilling semi-final.

The 23-year-old lost 6-4 4-6 7-5 in west London as Lehecka advanced to Sunday's final, where he will face either top seed Carlos Alcaraz or Roberto Bautista Agut.

Draper had often started slowly at this tournament before getting into his groove and winning but in this instance he found Lehecka had too much for him.

He was broken in the opening game when a double fault gave Lehacka an early boost and the Czech used his big serve well to close out the first set.

Draper's failure to take advantage of having four break points in the fourth game of the second set looked like being pivotal, but he dug deep to stay in the match before breaking Lehecka for the first time at 5-4 up to take things to a decider.

From then on there was little to separate the two but Lehecka got the crucial break at 5-5, with Draper's frustrations at falling behind in a key moment getting the better of him as he smashed his racquet against the advertising hoardings.

Lehecka then served out the match to progress to his fifth ATP Tour final and ensure that the wait continues for a first British singles champion since five-time winner Andy Murray's most recent victory in 2016.

While Draper will be disappointed not to have reached the final - something he had dreamed of as a child - he can be encouraged by his overall performance as Wimbledon approaches.

His run to the last four ensures he not only goes there in good confidence but as one of the top four seeds, ensuring he would avoid defending champion Alcaraz or world number one Jannik Sinner until at least the semi-finals.

Lehecka's serve was a formidable weapon in the first set but the tide appeared to turn Draper's way in the second as he started finding ways to beat his opponent with some fantastic shots.

There was a tense moment when Draper and the crowd were unsure whether a winner at set point had landed in before it was confirmed by the automated line call, prompting a roar from the British player and the Andy Murray Arena spectators.

The pressure then appeared to be on Lehecka but he handled it well, putting Draper on the defensive in the decider before a big backhand winner in the 11th game handed him the match-deciding break.