Jack Draper advanced to the second round at Wimbledon effortlessly after his opponent, Sebastian Baez, retired due to injury.
Baez, from Argentina, seemed to be suffering from a right knee problem, requiring medical treatment twice in the second set before ultimately retiring from the match three games into the third set.
British number one Draper held a dominant 6-2, 6-2, 2-1 lead at the point of retirement, having played well within himself and demonstrating a clear advantage over Baez, who found it difficult to handle Draper`s pace and baseline power.
Draper`s next opponent will be Croatia`s Marin Cilic, who secured his spot with a straight-sets win against Raphael Collignon.
“I would have preferred to play longer; I felt my game was really coming together,” Draper commented in his post-match interview. “I was hitting the ball cleanly. It`s never ideal to win this way, and I sincerely wish Sebastian a speedy recovery.”
“I always focus on what`s within my control. I come out here, give my absolute best, play the highest level of tennis I can, and see what happens. I`m excited for the rest of the week. I take each match as it comes, respecting every player in the draw because they`ve earned their place and can play amazing tennis. My approach is just one point at a time.”
Aiming to reach the Wimbledon third round for the first time, Draper started strongly, breaking serve immediately and quickly building a 3-1 lead with a powerful cross-court forehand. Baez then made errors, including a double fault and a weak forehand, handing Draper another break to go up 4-1. Draper comfortably closed out the first set in just 26 minutes after Baez hit a tentative shot into the net.
The second set continued in a similar vein. Baez`s attempts to rally were undone by an under-hit net volley and an overcooked backhand, further yielding ground to Draper`s precise down-the-line forehand winners.
Baez first showed signs of injury at 2-1 in the second set, receiving a brief medical assessment during the changeover. Although he seemed ready to continue, Draper soon extended his lead to 4-1, expertly punishing a drop shot with a forceful passing forehand to secure another break.
Sensing the situation, Draper demonstrated his power, hitting a 133mph unreturnable serve for a 40-15 lead, followed by an ace to go up 5-1. He sealed the second set two games later, effectively ending Baez`s challenge.
It became increasingly evident that Baez was close to retiring. The match concluded during the changeover at 2-1 in the third set when Baez shook Draper`s hand, confirming his withdrawal.
Draper`s statistics included winning 93% of his first-serve points, hitting 10 aces and 25 winners compared to Baez`s four. The 23-year-old did accumulate 22 unforced errors, a number he`d likely prefer lower, but he secured the win without needing to display his top form.
Other British Players Exit on Day Two
Heather Watson`s latest Wimbledon appearance concluded with a lengthy three-set loss to 23rd seed Clara Tauson.
The 33-year-old, ranked 143rd and competing in her 15th Championships on a wild card, was an early British player on court on day two, hoping to build on Monday`s successes.
After dropping an early break, she fought back to win the first set by taking five games in a row.
However, Denmark`s Tauson, who secured her first ever win at the All England Club, broke early in the second set to level the match.
Watson had a chance to break for a 2-0 lead in the final set but couldn`t convert, and the 32-degree heat seemed to affect her as the match went past two hours.
The 22-year-old Tauson broke serve twice late in the set to seal a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory, marking Watson`s ninth first-round exit at Wimbledon.
Johannus Monday, from Hull, also departed in the first round, losing in straight sets to American Tommy Paul on Court Three.
The 22-year-old, granted a wild card for both singles and doubles, faced a much more experienced opponent in the 28-year-old Paul, currently world number 13 and a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon last year.
Paul`s progression was relatively smooth, defeating the 6ft 6in tall Briton 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 43 minutes.
“It was a tough match, he`s clearly a very strong player,” Monday commented. “I felt considerable pressure heading into it – not necessarily the expectation to win, but just the unique feeling of stepping onto that court.
Playing singles on a big Wimbledon court has always been a dream. Considering only 12 players are currently ranked higher than Tommy Paul, he was an excellent opponent. I simply tried to cherish the experience as much as possible.”
Jodie Burrage`s return from injury was cut short by world number 208 Caty McNally.
Burrage, 26, missed significant play last year, including the grass season.
Although she defeated McNally in her 2023 Wimbledon debut, she couldn`t repeat the result this time, losing comfortably 6-3, 6-1 in just over an hour.
Fellow British wild card recipient George Loffhagen was defeated by Spain`s Pedro Martinez, with scores of 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
The streak of British players reaching the second round extended to eight when Dan Evans overcame compatriot Jay Clarke with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
In a notable upset, Jack Pinnington Jones defeated world number 53 Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 7-5 in his Wimbledon main draw debut. This came just a month after he left TCU, choosing to forgo his final year of college tennis.
Monday saw seven British players win their matches at the All England Club, marking the highest single-day total for British victories in the Open Era of the Championships.
