Even though he beat Jack Draper in the first round of the Australian Open, defending champion Rafael Nadal was not at his best.

Offered Nadal’s poor form, the draw had given 21-year-old emerging British sensation Draper a blockbuster meeting with his childhood idol on his debut at Melbourne Park, and a real chance to break through onto the world scene.

Six losses in his last seven matches leading up to the first Grand Slam of the year was the worst such stretch of his career, and his 45 unforced errors demonstrated that he was not in vintage form.

Draper appeared to be capable of pulling off the upset after he won the second set on Rod Laver Arena, but his career has been hindered by physical difficulties. He started to cramp in the third set and eventually lost 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Draper, who is right-handed, modeled his game after his idol Nadal and even imitated his appearance as a child.

“We used to base a lot of our game development around Rafa,” Draper’s former coach Justin Sherring said to the Daily Telegraph. Not only the lefty style, but also the skill, hunger, and battling attitude, were traits we aspired to mirror.

Draper’s powerful topspin forehand and strong backhand, most often struck cross-court but occasionally and explosively down the line, show the impact.
His nerves calmed down early in the match, and he faced only one break point before Nadal won the first set thanks to a poorly executed drop shot.

The top seed celebrated with a fist pump, signaling that this was a significant moment for him as he attempts to play himself back into form, but he lost his steam immediately to start the second set. Nadal’s racket was leaking errors, and Draper, who should have won the set 6-0, needed no miracles to draw even with the scoreboard showing 2-2 during the two short rain pauses.

Nadal said he was more nervous than usual going into the competition because of his winless streak, but he was sure that his practice performance would translate to the court. The reigning champion had a heated discussion with his benched support staff before the start of the third set, and his game improved as a result.

Because Draper’s physical energy was waning, he had an advantage because his serve and his shots lacked the same punch. When the British player committed an unexpected double fault, Nadal took advantage and went up 3-1. However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion continued to make numerous uncharacteristic errors and promptly relinquished the lead with a poor game at 4-2.

(Aaron Favila/AP) Jack Draper is feeling the pressure

Draper was able to save one set point with an ace in the tenth game, but he blew another by missing the court with a backhand.

After a delayed wardrobe change, he broke Nadal’s serve in the first game of the fourth set, giving him hope of a comeback. However, the Spaniard was finally playing a little better, and he broke back.
Draper started to cramp up again during a lengthy point in the fourth game, rendering him helpless for the next several games’ ceremonies.