British star Jack Draper has made a successful return after being sidelined for a prolonged spell by harm.
Taking part in for the primary time since having to withdraw from the US Open final yr, Draper is representing Nice Britain towards Norway in Davis Cup qualifying.
He beat Viktor Durasovic in straight units, 6-2 6-2, dominating his opponent and changing his second match level to place Britain forward within the tie.
The British No 1 has performed only one match since Wimbledon final July, with bone bruising in his left arm curbing his 2025 season fully and ruling him out of the Australian Open final month.
The 24-year-old has been dogged by critical harm earlier than, lacking six months of the 2023 season because of a shoulder downside that required a number of operations, however the nature of this newest harm has confirmed much more troublesome to cope with.
To return to motion with a victory will probably be heartening for him.
Afterwards, Draper mentioned: “It is good to get a match beneath my belt and get a primary level for Nice Britain.
“It’s taken hard work and perseverance. It’s been a really difficult time since I’ve been away from the sport but I’ve done the hard work no one sees and when I come back hopefully I can play some proper tennis again.”
This was the proper delicate relaunch for Draper towards a Norway group lacking their high participant, world No 12 Casper Ruud, an absence the equal of taking Erling Haaland out of the nationwide soccer group.
Ruud’s comprehensible withdrawal – his spouse gave beginning to their first daughter a couple of days in the past – was solely introduced 10 minutes earlier than the draw ceremony on Wednesday, as soon as the two,000-seater Nadderud Enviornment had bought out.
Nonetheless, there was nonetheless the possibility for the Norwegian crowd to see the participant who rose to 4 on the earth final June and had seemed among the many most definitely to problem the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner duopoly, till his harm was recognized after Wimbledon.
Draper’s strengths, his potent left-hand serve and highly effective forehand, have been compromised by the harm. However, albeit whereas sporting a protecting sleeve, he seemed to be swinging freely right here.
It was onerous to gauge exactly what Draper’s stage is towards Durasovic, ranked a lowly 313. Nevertheless, eight aces, simply 10 factors dropped on serve and a wholesome smattering of forehand winners was definitely an encouraging begin.
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