Jack Draper's clay-court season got off to a disappointing start as he was forced to retire due to injury in the deciding set of his first-round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open. Despite taking the first set 6-3, Draper struggled with his movement and had to receive medical attention, eventually withdrawing from the match with Etcheverry leading 4-1 in the third set.
Draper, who is ranked higher than Etcheverry, had started strongly but was hindered by a knee issue from the second set onwards. His opponent praised Draper's competitiveness, saying, 'He was playing unbelievably... He is a great competitor and a great fighter.' This was only Draper's fourth tournament back on the ATP Tour since recovering from a left-arm injury that kept him out since last August's US Open. He is scheduled to play next at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid.
Meanwhile, British No 1 Cameron Norrie overcame a tough challenge from three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, winning 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 in a two-and-a-half-hour match. Norrie, who did not feel physically well during the match, had to dig deep to secure the win and will now face American Ethan Quinn in the second round.
In other news, Katie Boulter advanced to the last 16 of the Rouen Open with a dominant 6-2 6-2 victory over Maria Timofeeva, and is targeting a good run in the tournament.