Jack Draper's return to the clay courts was cut short due to an injury, forcing him to retire from his first-round match at the Barcelona Open against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Despite a strong start, winning the first set 6-3, Draper struggled with his movement and was hindered by a knee issue that required medical attention.
He eventually withdrew from the match, trailing 4-1 in the third set. Draper, who is ranked higher than Etcheverry, had shown promise but was unable to overcome his injury. Etcheverry praised Draper, saying, 'He was playing unbelievably...
He's a great competitor, a great fighter.' Draper's injury is a setback for the young player, who has only recently returned to the ATP Tour after a left-arm injury kept him sidelined since last August's US Open. Meanwhile, British No 1 Cameron Norrie secured a hard-fought victory over three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, winning 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4. Norrie, who will face American Ethan Quinn in the next round, said, 'I was not really feeling that well today physically, so I had to really dig deep mentally.' Katie Boulter also had a successful day, easing into the last 16 of the Rouen Open with a dominant 6-2 6-2 win over Maria Timofeeva.