British tennis player Jack Draper’s struggles continued at the Cincinnati Open, where he fell to Spanish opponent Martin Landaluce in straight sets during opening-round competition. The match ended 6-3, 7-5, with Draper’s performance hampered by numerous service errors and a significant collapse in the closing stages. Despite establishing a commanding 5-2 advantage in the second set, Draper surrendered five consecutive games, allowing Landaluce to secure the victory in under two hours.
The defeat marks another setback for Draper, who remains in the early stages of his comeback following a bone bruising injury that forced him to miss Wimbledon. His Cincinnati exit came just days after an emotionally difficult loss at the preceding tournament in Montreal. With only his second match back since the injury layoff, Draper struggled to maintain consistency, committing twelve double faults throughout the contest. The 24-year-old acknowledged the magnitude of his challenge ahead, describing the task of regaining his previous form as climbing a substantial mountain.
Currently ranked 143rd in the world, Draper faces an uncertain path to the upcoming US Open, where early qualifying rounds may become necessary given his recent tournament exits. Meanwhile, fellow British competitor Cameron Norrie advanced in Cincinnati, defeating Croatian player Dino Prizmic 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to secure a second-round matchup against Alexander Zverev.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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