SERVING NOTICE

Draper is carrying the hopes of a nation... and is showing that hope is not misplaced

- BY ANDY DUNN Chief Sports Writer at Wimbledon X @andydunnmirrorg

WHEN Sebastian Baez decided enough was enough early in the third set, the nature of his injury was unclear.

But the truth is that this, in boxing terms, was a technical knockout, Baez battered by a barrage of blows from his British opponent.

Yes, it was a leg problem caused by an awkward slip at the beginning of the second set that forced Baez to retire from one-sided proceedings but, from hit one, it had been a case of when it was going to end rather than how it was going to end.

And there was enough evidence in the measly 19 games witnessed by Court One to suggest the nation-wide hope invested in Draper is not misplaced.

To state the obvious, there are far sterner tests ahead and, in the second round, 36-year-old Marin Cilic a Wimbledon finalist in 2017 when he was overwhelmed by Roger Federer - will be the first of them.