Draper's Resilient Victory at Cincinnati Open

Jack Draper showcased his grit and resilience in the first round of the Cincinnati Open, triumphing over Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar with a hard-fought 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) victory, BBC reported. Draper, the British number one, managed to overturn a 4-2 deficit in the deciding set tie-break, winning the next four points to secure the match on the second of three match points, courtesy of a blistering ace.

Despite an abdominal issue causing him to call for the physio at 6-5 in the third set, Draper held his nerve and maintained his competitive edge. This injury, which troubled him in the past, led to concerns about his capacity to stay in prolonged rallies. Nevertheless, his tenacity and exceptional performance saw him through to face Greek ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next round. Earlier, Tsitsipas advanced by defeating Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Reflecting on the match, Draper fell behind 5-2 early in the first set but rallied to win five consecutive games. Munar, determined after losing the opener, seized an early break in the second set, moving swiftly to secure a 6-3 victory. The pattern extended into the final set, where Draper, overcoming a moment of frustration that saw him smash his racket after falling 2-1, rebounded strongly to reclaim the crucial break.

In other tournament updates, Jannik Sinner, the top seed in the men’s draw, moved ahead with a 6-4, 7-5 win over American qualifier Alex Michelsen and is set to play Australian Jordan Thompson in the second round. However, British players Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart exited the tournament in the opening round, facing defeats to Magda Linette and Yulia Putintseva respectively.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek encountered a challenging match against qualifier Varvara Gracheva, needing three sets to come through 6-0, 6-7 (8-10), 6-2. As players gear up for the US Open, beginning on August 26 in New York, Draper’s win signifies his strong momentum heading into the season’s final major.

Earlier, SSP reported that Callum McGregor retired from International football.