Dream over for Draper as Brit forced to retire
JACK DRAPER was last night forced to quit his US Open third-round match, but not before leaving another reminder of his rich promise.
The 20-year-old from Surrey was in the ascendancy against 27th seed Karen Khachanov when he suffered what initially looked to be a strain around the groin or glute area.
He tried to play on, but with his movement becoming more restricted, he pulled out after consulting the on-court physio. The score was 3-6, 6-4, 5-6 and two hours 33 minutes had gone in what will surely not be his last appearance in the third round at Flushing Meadows.
The hulking Russian had become the latest player to have difficulty keeping a lid on the power of Draper’s left-handed game, which has now carried him into the world’s top 50.
Talent and determination are clearly not an issue for the Brit, who had taken out world No 8 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the previous round.
How the British No 4’s body holds up against the rigours of the tour has been more of a question, because he would be even further along the line in his progression had he not suffered a litany of physical setbacks so far in his fledgling career.
Some of these have been growing pains and there is little to suggest there is anything else to hold him back.
Khachanov knocked Cam Norrie out of the French Open at the same stage and looked on course to thwart British hopes again when he took the first set on the sprawling Grandstand court. Draper hit back and soon had the Russian alarmed and on the defensive, coming to the net to volley when he broke serve in the second to level the match. When
Draper surged to 3-0 in the third he looked primed for another upset victory.
But after being broken back he called for the trainer and then went off for treatment after making some awkward swivelling movements.
Draper then got another break immediately afterwards to make it 5-2, but that proved to be his high watermark.
With his movement becoming more and more ginger, he tried to finish the points off quickly. That erased his consistency and four games were lost before he asked for the trainer again and, after a brief discussion, walked over to shake hands with an opponent who might have been
somewhat relieved. After straight set wins against Auger-Aliassime and highly-rated Finn Emil Ruusuvuori, the southpaw has underlined again that he is not to be trifled with.
His exit and that of Andy Murray leave Dan Evans and Cam Norrie as the last Brits left in the third round of the singles. Elsewhere, Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is enjoying himself in New York considerably more than at Wimbledon.
He was controversially knocked out at SW19 after being docked a point at match point for angrily hitting a ball out of the stadium. But he made the fourth round here after beating Colombian Daniel Galan 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.