Draper eyes history after epic struggle with Mejia
Jack Draper (GB) bt Nicolas Mejia (Colombia)
Jack Draper will contest the boys’ singles final tomorrow in an attempt to become the first British boy to win Wimbledon since 1962, after winning an epic four-hour battle over Nicolas Mejia yesterday.
The 16-year-old had a match point at 6-5 up in the second set, but was pushed to a decider which would last 156 minutes. It took 36 games and nine match points for the Briton in the final set before he closed it out, 7-6, 6-7, 19-17.
Draper had his hands in prayer and looked to the sky pleading for a way to break the stalemate, but his 18-year-old Colombian opponent fought hard and hit some incredible unreturned serves. On his 10th attempt however, Draper capitalised on Mejia finally missing a first serve and set up an overhead smash to take the biggest win of his life.
“A hundred per cent I was going to miss that smash,” he said aftertournament: wards. “My coach Ryan had been saying how bad my smash, my footwork to get behind that exact smash [was]. I don’t know how I made it, I must have hit the frame or something,” he laughed.
“I don’t think anything can really prepare you for that sort of match as a junior,” he said of the four hours 24 minutes he spent on court. “I can’t feel my legs. Apart from that, I’m totally overwhelmed.”
The last British boys’ winner, Stanley Matthews, was the son of footballer Sir Stanley. Draper’s father is former LTA chief executive Roger Draper. However, he said it did not affect his game in any way.
“I’ve just gone about every day for me, I don’t feel any pressure from that sort of thing,” he said. He will play No 1 seed Chun Hsin Tseng in the final.