It was not until 10pm on Wednesday night that Jack Draper finally returned to the locker room after his tenacious victory over the world No 6 Taylor Fritz. Even then, there was no time to spare. He had just 19 hours to work through his daily treatment, recover, sleep and ensure that he was prepared for another meeting with one of the best players in the world.
That challenge proved a step too far in the end as Draper’s fatigue caught up with him against an indefatigable opponent and he was methodically ground down in the last 16 of the Paris Masters by a brilliant Alex de Minaur, the ninth seed. Although Draper fought hard until the end, the Australian finally won 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday evening.
