Jack Draper Battles Through Pain To Defeat Federico Gomez At US Open

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Jack Draper advanced to the second round of the US Open after defeating Federico Agustin Gomez in four sets. Despite an arm injury that kept him out since early July, Draper managed a 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2 victory over the Argentine. The Briton secured the first set with a single break and quickly took the second, but Gomez fought back to win the third set in a tie-break.

In the fourth set, Draper regained control and comfortably overcame Gomez, who couldn't maintain his earlier momentum. Draper's decisive forehand down the right baseline sealed his victory and earned applause from Gomez. Reflecting on his performance, Draper said, "I wasn't too sure if I was going to make it here. It wasn't my finest performance but credit to my opponent, he played some outstanding tennis. I'm not putting too much expectation on myself. I'm so happy to be able to compete."

Despite not being at his best, Draper is optimistic about improving in future matches. He aims for a better showing in the next round against Zizou Bergs. In this match, Draper hit only 36 winners compared to Gomez's 49 but excelled with an impressive first-serve success rate of 81%, surpassing Gomez's 68%. This win marks Draper's eighth victory in men's singles grand slam events this year.

This achievement surpasses his previous record of seven wins in such events last year. Having reached his best run at Flushing Meadows previously, Draper remains hopeful for another strong performance while keeping expectations realistic regarding winning the title.