Jack Draper returns in Davis Cup defeat as Great Britain lose to Argentina

Jack Draper made his return to action for Great Britain in the Davis Cup but the US Open semi-finalist’s reinstatement to the team could not prevent defeat.

Draper lost against Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets – 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 – in a Davis Cup Finals match lasting two hours and nine minutes less than a week on from from his clash with eventual US Open champion Jannik Sinner.

The result gave Argentina an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of the doubles rubber after Dan Evans lost to Tomas Martin Etcheverry earlier in the day at the AO Arena in Manchester – but Evans and Neal Skupski defeated Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni to ensure the match finished 2-1.

Defeat meant Great Britain missed out on their first chance to book their spot in the Davis Cup ‘Final Eight’ ahead of facing 2022 champions Canada in their final Group D tie on Sunday.

With Argentina facing Finland on Saturday, any of the four nations in the pool could still finish in the top two and qualify for the tournament final in Malaga, which takes place from November 19-24.

The Argentina loss comes after Leon Smith’s team began their Davis Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Finland, with Draper’s replacement Billy Harris coming to the fore to help GB win as the 22-year-old was rested after his draining run to the last four in in New York four days previously.

This tie was a step up in class, though, and Draper – who understandably looked a little jaded – could not manage to outmuscle the impressive Cerundolo, ranked 11 places below the British No 1 at world No 31.

There was no sign of the strapping on his right thigh that Draper had worn since the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows but a break for Cerundolo in the third game put him on the back foot.

Draper broke back to make it 5-5 to the delight of the majority of the 9,000-strong crowd, which included Liverpool’s Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister.

But Cerundolo led throughout the tie-break and Draper just could not find a meaningful advantage in the second set, first being pegged back straight away after an early break and then missing three break points at 4-4.

Cerundolo did not make the same mistake when he brought up three match points at 6-5, converting the first and then falling to the court in delight.

Earlier, Evans – who was given the nod over Harris as No 2 – was also unable to take his chances against the consistent Etcheverry.

It has been a difficult year for Evans, whose ranking has slipped to 178, and he could only boast one win in 2024 over a player ranked higher than world No 34 Etcheverry.

Had Evans managed to convert any of four break points in a long fourth game, things might have played out differently.

But his opponent, nine years younger and eight inches taller, surged ahead with five games in a row and the crucial break of a tight second set came at 5-5.

Evans had three more opportunities to break in a rollercoaster final game that also saw him save five match points but the cruellest of net-cords created a sixth, and this time Etcheverry made it across the line.

Evans was left disappointed, saying: “I didn’t play my best. A really long game at 2-1 in the first set probably changed the momentum of the match quite a bit.

“At the end I felt the momentum was turning, but I just wasn’t as good as I expect. It was a difficult match. I wasn’t feeling great how I was striking the ball.”

Drained Draper bemoans Davis Cup timing

Following his latest exertions on the court, Draper admitted that players struggle to find time to relax anymore.

The memorable clash with Sinner at Flushing Meadows saw Draper vomiting on court as he struggled to deal with the conditions and physical toll on his body.

The British No 1 admitted it is already in the rearview mirror, though, as the hectic calendar rumbles forward.

“I haven’t really thought about the US Open at all,” said Draper, who at least reported no problems with the right hamstring that had troubled him in New York.

“It’s been such a quick turnaround, I obviously got the flight home, then it’s been about getting over the jet lag, getting up here. I didn’t celebrate at all because I wanted to be in the best shape possible.

“That’s the thing about tennis, we’re always onto the next thing. With the Davis Cup being the week after the US Open, for the players who do well it’s very difficult.”

This was Draper’s 49th singles match of the season, with the last two months seeing him go from the grass of Wimbledon to an Olympics on clay, then the North American hard-court season and now Davis Cup.

“It’s a mental calendar,” he said. “Since Miami time [in March], I just haven’t had any time. We went straight into the clay, then straight onto the grass, straight to the Olympics, straight out to Montreal, Cincinnati, training week, US Open, here, then it’s Asia, then it’s indoor season.

“It’s my opinion that it’s going to be very hard for players of my age to achieve longevity anymore.

“I look at the schedule, and I know players have done it for years, but the way the ATP have changed to two weeks with the Masters [1000 series] and these types of things, it’s giving us no time anymore.

“There’s literally no break. It’s really mentally and physically challenging. I’m proud of myself for being here with the team, playing for my country. I didn’t get it done today but I’m going to have many more chances.”

Where is Draper playing in the rest of 2024?

After a brief hiatus, the ATP Tour swings back into action with events in China and Japan from September 16 onwards.

The Chengdu Open (ATP 250) and Hangzhou Open (ATP 250) tournaments will be live on Sky Sports Tennis from that week, followed by the China Open (ATP 500) in Beijing and Japan Open (ATP 500) in Tokyo from September 23.

All matches will be watchable on Sky Sports as Draper looks to improve his impressive form on hard courts (17 wins – 9 losses), and across the calendar year (30-18) depending on where he next decides to play.

What else is coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in September?

• Jasmin Open, Tunisia – WTA 250 (9-15 September)
• Guadalajara Open, Mexico – WTA 500 (9-15 September)
• Korea Open – WTA 500 (16 -22 September – with Emma Raducanu in action)
• Thailand Open – WTA 250 (16 -22 September)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.