Draper Fills Murray’s Void with Midnight Victory at Wimbledon
Jack Draper evoked memories of Andy Murray as he stepped onto Centre Court under the lights, claiming victory in a five-set thriller in his debut Wimbledon match as the top-ranked British male player.
Ranked 28th, Draper made a tentative start against Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer but eventually triumphed in the first round with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 after losing the fourth set.
The 22-year-old took Murray’s place in the iconic evening slot on Centre Court after the former world number one withdrew from his match earlier on Tuesday due to injury.
Draper delivered a timely boost to the home fans, who were disappointed by Murray’s misfortune.
Returning to Wimbledon after being sidelined by an injury last year, Draper celebrated his victory by hitting the ball into the jubilant crowd at 9:15 PM BST.
“I know you wanted to see Andy here, but you’re stuck with me instead,” he joked.
“The crowd really helped me. I love playing in front of a lot of people. There were some nervous moments, and I truly appreciate the support; it means a lot.”
In the second round, Draper will face Cameron Norrie, whom he recently dethroned as Britain’s leading man.
Norrie, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2022, defeated Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 shortly before Draper’s victory.
Norrie’s victory ended his streak of four consecutive first-round losses at the French Open, Queen’s, and Eastbourne, dropping him out of the world’s top 40 rankings.
Draper was one of 11 Britons competing on the second day of the 2024 Championships.
Another notable victory in the men’s category came from British No. 13 Jacob Fearnley, who will face seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the second round.
Making his Grand Slam debut, the 22-year-old Scotsman defeated Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (14-12).
However, last year’s men’s champion Henry Searle, along with Billy Harris, Paul Jubb, and Jan Choinski, faced defeat.
Dan Evans, who was doubtful to play in the tournament due to a knee injury, was trailing 6-2, 3-3 against Chilean 24th seed Alejandro Tabilo when the match was suspended due to poor light.
In the women’s singles, victories by Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart led to five British women reaching the second round for the first time since 1987.