Jack Draper secured his place in the fourth round of the French Open with a commanding 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca on Saturday.
The world No5 will now face Alexander Bublik on Monday in what promises to be an intriguing clash.
In the build-up for the highly-anticipated match, Bublik, who is ranked 62nd in the world, has been effusive in his praise for Draper's meteoric rise up the rankings.
The 27-year-old candidly said: "Jack for me is insane. I mean, last year the guy is 40 in the world. This year he is top five in the world.
Alexander Bublik described upcoming opponent Jack Draper as 'insane'
Getty
"That's a crazy achievement. He doesn't seem to stop, so I mean, what do I have to do to beat him? I don't know."
The Kazakhstani player acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead, adding: "Jack is a great sportsman, great person."
Draper was equally complimentary about his third-round opponent, Joao Fonseca', who he beat in straight sets.
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Jack Draper beat Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday
Reuters
Saturday marked the second encounter between Draper and the 18-year-old, with the Briton again having little trouble containing the Brazilian's momentum.
They had previously met in the second round of Indian Wells, where Draper won easily en route to claiming the title.
The 23-year-old Briton highlighted Fonseca's impressive achievement in reaching the third round at just 18 years of age.
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"He's already top 50 in the world. He's doing incredible things. His experience and everything is only gonna grow with more matches. More experience playing top players," Draper said.
The fifth seed was particularly struck by what lies ahead for the Brazilian teenager.
"It's only gonna go up for him. I think it's gonna be scary what he's gonna be able to achieve," Draper added, emphasising the five-year age gap between them.
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Jack Draper said 'it's gonna be scary' what the future holds for teenager Joao Fonseca
Reuters
Monday's fourth-round encounter will see Draper looking to extend his dominance over Bublik as well, having also won both of their previous ATP Tour meetings.
The Brit emerged victorious at Queen's Club in 2021 and again in Adelaide in 2024.
Bublik recalled their early encounters, noting how Draper has transformed since their first meeting.
"I know him since I played him in the qualifiers of Queen's in 2018 or something. He was a little kid," Bublik said.
"Then when he beat me in Queen's, and he told me 'I finally got you'. I said 'let's speak when you're in the top 50', because he was like 300 in the world, and now he's top five."
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