IT’S GLASS HALF FULL FOR JACK DESPITE EARLY EXIT

JACK DRAPER took the positives from his physical exertions in Melbourne despite the strapping southpaw’s frustration at not beating the American he swept aside in Adelaide last week. Draper, 22, beat Tommy Paul in that warm-up but yesterday’s rematch in the Australian Open second round saw the 14th seed get revenge with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.

Draper’s first-round triumph in five sets over Marcos Giron took a great deal out of him, both physically and mentally, as he vomited into a courtside bin in the 31°C heat. That arduous win was seen as something of a breakthrough for the rising star of British tennis.

Though beaten by Giron’s compatriot Paul yesterday, Draper was glad to get another gruelling match of Grand Slam tennis under his belt, saying: ‘I’m proud of the way I am physically. That’s one big positive I can take. I feel like I could have played four, five more sets. I feel good.’ Draper suggested he felt ‘cooked’ after reaching the final of the Adelaide International last week, and may reconsider his approach in the build-up to future Grand Slams. His next stated aim is to make sure he is seeded for Wimbledon.

‘I haven’t really got used to conditions this week at all,’ Draper added. ‘I have been struggling to find my level. He (Paul) was the better player. He deserved to win.

‘I’m ready to keep going. I’m very motivated to keep getting better. Hopefully by the grass season, if I keep my form up and if I stay fit, then I’ll be seeded for Wimbledon. That’s my goal now.’ Cam Norrie is now Britain’s last hope of singles glory after battling back from two sets down in a defiant display of grit against Giulio Zeppieri. After edging out the 22-year-old Italian 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round, Norrie admitted he had been ‘bitching and whining too much’, while three rain delays in Melbourne helped him regroup, one handily arriving after losing the second set.

Next up for Norrie is 11th seed Casper Ruud, who outlasted Max Purcell in a fifth-set tiebreak yesterday. ‘I somehow lifted and won the third set,’ said Norrie, who has never progressed beyond the Australian Open’s third round. ‘I was bitching and whining too much. I needed to stop making excuses.’