Draper out but not down After Eastbourne run

JACK DRAPER warned he is a “completely different player” to the one who briefly stunned Novak Djokovic as he prepares to make a greater impact on his Wimbledon return.

The British No.4 heads to the All England Club buoyed by a fine run at Eastbourne, which was halted at the semi-final stage yesterday by an agonising loss to Maxime Cressy.

The 20-year-old took the opening set against eventual champion Djokovic on his SW19 debut last year before eventually succumbing to defeat. But he believes he is in far better shape now, partly due to lessons learned from his memorable Centre Court clash with the formidable Serbian.

“My lead-up to playing Novak last year was very different to this year,” said Draper, who will face Belgian wildcard Zizou Bergs in the first round of the Grand Slam next week.

“This year I’ve been able to stay in form, my practice has been more consistent and I’ve been able to get a lot of matches in, whereas last year I was injured pretty much all the way up until

Queen’s. And then, even when I was playing Djokovic, something was hurting in my body, so I’m a completely different player this year. I think he showed me how many weaknesses I still had in my game.

“Obviously I’ve tried to improve that the best I can and I think every year I’m going to be a better player, but definitely this year I’ve improved a lot and I think I’m ready to be fully dangerous.”

Draper was prevented from becoming the first British male to reach the singles final of the Devonshire Park tournament after Cressy added to a list of British scalps already containing Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie by edging a tense encounter 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (2-7), 6-3.

The towering American serve-volleyer will take on 2019 winner Taylor Fritz in today’s final after he eliminated defending champion Alex De Minaur 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.

“He’s a very, very good player, it’s tough to get in your rhythm against him,” Draper said of Cressy. “He’s serve-volleying the whole time, you don’t get in many rallies, so when you do hit a ground stroke it seems a bit of a shock. It was a tough match

and one break was all that was in it.”

Draper was roared on by a partisan crowd during a positive week in East Sussex, which followed appearances at Surbiton and Queen’s Club. He does not regard vocal backing as a burden and hopes it continues next week in southwest London.

“I don’t see that as pressure, it’s a massive privilege,” he said of the home support. “There has been so many people come to watch and support us Brits – me personally, I love it.”

Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova will play reigning champion Jelena Ostapenko in the final of the women’s draw at Eastbourne.

Kvitova, who was the beaten finalist in 2011, was in inspired form as she ended the 12-match winning streak of Beatriz

Haddad Maia with a thrilling 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, success.

Eighth seed Ostapenko breezed past Italian Camila Giorgi, winning 6-2, 6-2, to keep herself on track to retain her crown.

The Latvian and her Ukrainian partner Lyudmyla Kichenok later progressed to the women’s doubles final, where they will face Aleksandra Krunic and Magda Linette, while Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic clinched the men’s doubles title by beating Matwe Middelkoop and Luke Saville 6-4, 6-2.

Rafael Nadal continued his Wimbledon preparation at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic, but the 22-time Grand Slam champion was beaten by Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The pair could meet at the quarter-final stage at SW19 and the Canadian Auger-Aliassime struck a potential psychological blow with a 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 1-0 (10-3) win in London.

Elsewhere, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached his first Tour-level final on grass at the Mallorca Championships. Tsitsipas overcame Benjamin Bonzi 6-4, 6-4, to set up a final date with Roberto Bautista Agut after he beat Swiss qualifier Antoine Bellier 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

And in Germany at the Bad Homburg Open, Simona Halep was forced to withdraw from her semi-final against Bianca Andreescu due to a neck injury.

Unseeded Andreescu will meet Caroline Garcia in today’s final.