BUBLIK DROPS JACK IN THE MIRE

Draper's Grand hopes dashed as Kazakh weaves magic spell

- Neil McLeman

ALEXANDER BUBLIK broke British hearts to send Jack Draper tumbling out of Roland Garros.

The British No.1 and world No.5 had been backed to be a future Grand Slam winner by John McEnroe and Mats Wilander after his first wins here.

And he will have his future chances - starting at Wimbledon later this month.

But in Paris, the Russian-born Kazakh hit the jackpot with a crazily unpredictable display in which he mixed 37 drop shots - including 12 outright winners with second-serve aces and outrageous groundstrokes. In all, he clubbed 68 winners.

And befuddled Draper, who had reached the final at the Madrid Masters, could never guess what the former world No.17 was going to deal next.

It was a reminder of the brilliance of Bublik. And also that 23-year-old Draper, for all his rapid rise up the rankings and his physical strength, is still not ready to be a genuine Grand Slam contender.

Certainly not on his least favourite surface of clay.