British No.1 Jack Draper may have been tired and despondent after his Qatar Open final defeat but that didn’t stop him from making time for the fans. The 23-year-old missed out on a third ATP Tour title against Andrey Rublev, going down 7-5 5-7 6-1 in Doha.
He looked fatigued in the deciding set as Rublev raced into a 4-0 lead and there was no way back for Draper from there.
Admitting afterwards that he struggled to maintain his intensity against the Russian player, Draper said: “He outlasted me. We have both played some really tough matches this week and he was just too strong for me in the third set.”
And as the clock ticked towards 12.30am, the new world No.12 could have been forgiven for quickly getting off court before heading to bed. Instead, he stayed a further 20 minutes to sign memorabilia for fans who had stayed behind at the arena.
Footage posted on Reddit by @No_Art_754 showed Draper taking a pen to autograph books, tennis balls, and even a straw hat. He also posed for a selfie with one fan.
The show of class was welcomed by supporters, if not stadium officials. They could be seen waiting in the background as Draper embraced the fans, unable themselves to leave court until the Brit made his exit.
It’s not the first time Draper has made the effort to adhere to fan requests long after a match has finished. He’s previously done similar at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, and has established a reputation as a likeable figure on the ATP Tour.
But fans hoping to see him at the Dubai Tennis Championships have been left disappointed. The day after his late night match with Rublev, Draper confirmed he would be withdrawing from the event, that gets underway on Monday.
“Unfortunately, I have made the decision to withdraw from Dubai Duty Free,” he posted on X. “After a great week at Qatar Open Tennis, I’m taking on board advice to prioritise my recovery and manage my body.
“After a number of long matches, this gives me the best chance of competing consistently throughout the year. I’m gutted not to compete at such an amazing event but will look forward to returning to competition at BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open.”
Draper’s withdrawal has benefited one of his compatriots though. British No.5 Dan Evans has now been given a wildcard entry into the singles competition and will face Karen Khachanov in the first round.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk