Left: Jack Draper, Right: Alex de Minaur – CC
After defeating Jack Draper of Britain, Alex de Minaur became Wimbledon’s newest power couple. His girlfriend, Katie Boulter, was in the stands. Despite his opponent’s numerous attacks, the Australian No. 19 seed was still able to fight back.
The 20-year-old tennis player had been regarded as the brightest young talent in the country. However, his performance in the first half of the match caught many people off-guard. Draper lost the match 5-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-3.
It evoked memories of the five-set loss that Andy Murray suffered against David Nalbandian in 2005. The Scottish player was struggling with his body when he lost that match. If Draper can continue to perform at the same level, he can become one of the best players in the world.
During the first set, there was a brief shower before the roof was closed. Thousands of fans, including Boulter, were on Court 1. She had just upset the world number one, Karolina Pliskova, right next door.
Match between two bright prospects
The courts at Wimbledon are faster and more accurate under the lights. This advantage helped the 22-year-old player from Britain, who plays with a powerful backhand and a lefty serve, in his power game.
During his match, de Minaur exhibited impressive skills, such as his ability to make solid groundstrokes and his metronomic consistency. Lleyton Hewitt, a former Wimbledon champion, was in his support box.
Despite being outgunned by Draper in the first set, de Minaur could still fight back and win the game.
At 5-5 in the first set, the left-handed player from Britain started to attack de Minaur’s serve. His powerful southpaw forehand has a resemblance to Rafael Nadal’s style. During one point, de Minaur hit a passing shot that went down the line to make it 30-0. However, after a few minutes, Draper broke him and served the set out 7-5.
The second set started with a dominant performance by the British player dictating the points. De Minaur’s shirt started getting translucent and soaked in sweat as he walked around the court.
During a recent interview, Draper said he wasn’t ready for a five-set match. That said, the second-set tiebreak was very important for him. However, de Minaur was able to break his opponent’s serve and end his hopes of winning the match.
Despite his fight, Draper was eventually unable to overcome the deficit. During the second set, de Minaur could take advantage of his opponent’s mistakes and poor serving. The Australian was also targeting the home player’s powerful serve.
Draper vows to comeback
Despite his loss, Draper could still take positives out of the match. He noted that his opponent played a very good game. He also said that he still has a lot of work to do to improve his skills.
“It was a high-level match,” said Draper. “I thought Alex played incredibly well. Definitely, definitely tough out there. I think I can take a lot of positives. There’s also a lot of things I need to improve and keep working, developing,” said Draper.
For instance, in terms of his serve, Draper said that he still has a lot of work to do to improve his consistency. He also said that his forehand needs a lot of work.
“In terms of my tennis, it’s obviously trying to hit my spots on my serve. I think my forehand needs a lot of work still. But I think the main thing is the physicality,” Draper added.
