Jack Draper gave an important demonstration of his determination and grit as he pulled himself back from the brink of possible defeat against Mariano Navone of Argentina before finding a way into the second round of the Australian Open with a resolute 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory after over four hours on court.
Draper, seeded 15th, looked exhausted as he trailed Navone by two sets to one and faced two break points at 2-2 in the fourth set. He eventually found a second wind late in the set, turning the match around to close out an essential win in his first grand slam tournament since reaching the semi-finals of the US Open.
Earlier this month, Draper arrived in Australia under less-than-ideal circumstances after suffering a hip injury during the off season that forced him away from the court and left him with little time to be fully prepared for the first grand slam tournament of the year. His withdrawal from the United Cup meant he had no prior matchplay ahead of the Australian Open.
Navone, a 23-year-old Argentinian, enjoyed a breakout season last year, rising from outside of the top 100 as high as No 29. However, his success at the highest level has come exclusively on clay courts. Navone entered court three with a 4-12 ATP record on hard courts and he is yet to win consecutive tour-level matches away from clay.
From the beginning, Draper’s lack of preparation was reflected in his form. He struggled badly to hit his spots with his first serve and his timing was off from the baseline. While Draper was extremely tentative, oscillating between loose errors and rolling groundstrokes into the court, Navone rightfully played like a competitor with little to lose. Despite pulling the match level at one set all, Draper’s forehand completely fell apart in the second set as he began to struggle with the long, attritional rallies Navone continually dragged him into.
By the fourth set, Draper looked completely worn out. He walked gingerly between points and his footwork had deteriorated as he continually bailed out of most extended rallies with desperate drop shots. When it truly mattered, though, the British No 1 dug in deep and found the energy and resolve to turn around the match and keep himself in Melbourne.
