Jack Draper makes worrying admission after setting up Italian Open tie vs Carlos Alcaraz - 'Bamboozled'

Draper recovered from a disastrous first set to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 against the maverick Frenchman.

The Briton showed tremendous mental fortitude to overcome Moutet's unorthodox playing style that initially left him completely bewildered.

The 23-year-old Briton admitted he was 'bamboozled' early on but found his rhythm as the match progressed.

It continues Draper's impressive clay court season, having recently reached the Madrid Open final.

Draper told Sky Sports: "I was bamboozled at the start to be honest, I haven't played someone like that in...well, ever."

Moutet, one of the more flamboyant tennis players, deployed an unusual variety of drop shots, lobs and serve-volley raids which left Draper feeling completely disoriented in the opening set.

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Draper admitted: "I just felt like I was on a string, like I didn't know what I was doing.

"I was looking at the slide marks on the clay after one game, and I was literally covering the whole court... I've got dizziness from it.

"I came out in the second set, just fought for every point and found my way in the end."

After sweeping through the opening set, Moutet's varied and effective tennis had Draper on the ropes, before a moment of controversy emerged at 3-3 in the second set involving a video review.

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Moutet challenged whether his drop shot had bounced twice before Draper reached it. As umpire Nico Helwerth reviewed the footage, Moutet jabbered continuously.

Draper, leaning on the net, simply remarked: "I think I got it up."

The umpire agreed with the Briton despite Moutet's theatrical calls to "Zoom, zoom, zoom" during the replay.

Rather than disrupting Draper, the incident seemed to break Moutet's rhythm. The Frenchman then double-faulted twice in the next game as Draper broke for 5-3.

Draper's momentum briefly faltered when he conceded his own service game with an ill-judged drop shot attempt. However, he regrouped to break Moutet and take the second set.

At 3-3 in the final set, Moutet began to cramp, requiring treatment for his left hamstring. Draper seized his opportunity, breaking with a powerful forehand up the line.

Despite another wobble when serving for the match, the Briton held his nerve and, from 15-30 down, he produced four solid points to secure a hard-fought victory.

At 23-years-old, Draper is now the youngest British man in the Open Era to reach the last eight in Rome.

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His remarkable rise continues as he stands on the verge of yet another career milestone: he stands just one victory away from overtaking American Taylor Fritz as world no 4.

Draper has already claimed his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells earlier this year.

His clay court form has been particularly noteworthy, with deep runs in both Madrid and now Rome.

However, standing in Draper's way is Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz, with whom he already has history this season.

This will be their third meeting of 2025, with the pair winning one apiece after Draper retired in their Australian Open fourth-round encounter.

He then bounced back to defeat Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals on his way to claiming that title.

The Briton has previously beaten Alcaraz on grass in Stuttgart and hard courts in California.

As his comeback against Moutet demonstrated, though, Draper has developed a remarkable ability to find solutions when facing adversity, and this ability may be called on once more in the quarter-final.