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 Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Barcelona Open. Despite taking the first set 6-3, Draper struggled with mobility issues and eventually withdrew from the match, trailing 4-1 in the third set. His opponent, Etcheverry, who recently pushed world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz to three sets in Monte Carlo, praised Draper as a 'great competitor' and 'fighter.' Draper, ranked higher than Etcheverry, was competing in only his fourth tournament since recovering from a left-arm injury that kept him out since the US Open last August.
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 grueling match.
Norrie, who had to 'dig deep mentally' due to not feeling well physically, will face American Ethan Quinn in the next round. In other news, Katie Boulter advanced to the last 16 of the Rouen Open with a convincing 6-2 6-2 victory over Maria Timofeeva, as she seeks her first clay-court title.