Draper Finds a Higher Gear, Puts on a Show vs Fonseca

After two first-round exits at Roland Garros, world No.5 Briton has found fresh momentum on clay to enter last 16

- Shahid Judge

MUMBAI: Towards the end of a rather long rally, Jack Draper unleashed two heavy forehands down the line. Joao Fonseca managed to get both back into play, but sent the second retrieve a bit shorter than he would have liked.

Draper spotted it and glided up the court. He loaded for the shot, racket cocked way behind his body, eyes lit-up with menace. And then he played a delicate dink over the net. Fonseca was left rooted to the spot.

That point halfway through the fifth game of the third set summed up their third-round French Open match, Draper scoring a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over the immensely talented 18-year-old from Brazil. Draper spent an hour and 46 minutes out-hitting and even toying with his opponent with forays to the net and frequent drop shots.

The first two times Draper competed at the French Open, he failed to get past the first round. The third appearance for the 23-year-old Briton from Surrey has been vastly better. He had to battle past Mattia Bellucci and Gael Monfils in his first two matches, but the win on Saturday saw him dominate.