GB's Draper beats Rune to win Indian Wells title

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 assured of climbing 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.

"It is an incredible feeling," Draper told Sky Sports.

"I have put in a lot of work over time and I'm so grateful to be out here, with my body healthy and feeling great in the mind.

"It feels like it is all coming together on the big stage."

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.

Ever 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 he 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 been the key - and has paid dividends.

Days after becoming the British number one for the first time 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."

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 the ability to keep putting a tense Rune's first serve back into play - and hit ripping winners from the baseline.

This potent combination led to two breaks of Rune's serve, which Draper backed up with rapid holds to keep piling pressure back on to his opponent.

A 4-0 lead turned into a 5-1 advantage and Draper did not lose a first-serve point until the game where he closed out the opening set.

The manner of Draper's dominance led to a ruffled Rune deciding he needed to go off court for a mental reset - despite only having been playing for 29 minutes.

Draper refused to let up, however.

He 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 serve out victories against third seed Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals and four-time major champion Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

But there was no sign of anxiety when serving out for the championship - another indicator of how the Briton now truly believes he belongs among the best in the world.