Jack Draper has ‘a mountain to climb’ after first round exit at Cincinnati Open

Jack Draper sent down 12 double faults and lost five games in a row on his way to being dumped out of the Cincinnati Open in a 6-3 7-5 loss to Martin Landaluce.

It proved another difficult day for the former US Open semi-finalist on his comeback from a longstanding bone bruising issue after he had broken down in tears during a defeat to Terence Atmane at last week’s National Bank Open in Montreal.

Draper, in only his second match since he missed Wimbledon to continue a torrid injury-hit 12 months, had been two breaks up in the second set of his match with world number 64 before he collapsed to exit the Masters 1000 event in the first round.

After the Londoner was given a wild card into the tournament in Cincinnati, Draper dropped serve in the first game of the match but a 130mph ace to hold for 4-3 down suggested the 24-year-old had started to get into his groove.

A routine Landaluce hold was followed by an ill-timed double-fault from Draper to give his Spanish rival set point and a forehand sent long wrapped up the opener by a 6-3 score.

Draper bounced back excellently to break immediately at the start of the second set and a fine volley at the net saved break point before he opened up a 5-2 lead and appeared on course to force a decider.

With the match beyond the 90-minute mark, fatigue started to set in for ex-British number one Draper and he failed to serve out before Landaluce got another break back with a double fault.

With his energy levels now low, Draper was unable to find another response and bowed out after one hour and 57 minutes to further dampen his hopes of proving his fitness before this month’s US Open.

“The way I’m usually able to fight for every ball and conduct myself, it’s just missing,” Draper told reporters following his exit.

“The level of my fall almost from where I was last year and the amount of things that I’m having to change in my tennis … The mountain seems very, very big,”

Draper is ranked 143rd and his early exits from Montreal and Cincinnati mean he will likely have to come through qualifying at the US Open.

Later in the day, Cameron Norrie progressed into the second round with a 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory over Dino Prizmic.

Norrie, who made the semi-finals in Los Cabos a fortnight ago, was broken once during a tight first set but eventually outlasted his Croatian opponent.

After Norrie forced a third set in Cincinnati, the British number two edged ahead at 4-3 before he closed out to set up a second-round meeting with Wimbledon runner-up Alexander Zverev.