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Wimbledon 2024 results: Jack Draper fills Andy Murray void with thrilling Centre Court win – BBC Sport

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Wimbledon 2024 results: Jack Draper fills Andy Murray void with thrilling Centre Court win – BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Jack Draper is aiming to go beyond the Wimbledon second round for the first time in his career

Jack Draper marked his first Wimbledon match as British men’s number one by evoking memories of Andy Murray with a five-set success under the Centre Court lights.

Draper, seeded 28th, started tentatively against Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer – and lost his way in the fourth set – before coming through to win 3-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-3.

The 22-year-old replaced Murray in the evening slot on the iconic show court, with the former world number one having withdrawn through injury earlier on Tuesday.

Draper provided a timely pick-me-up for the home fans disappointed by Murray’s misfortune.

  • Author, Jonathan Jurejko
  • Role, BBC Sport journalist at Wimbledon

Making his return to Wimbledon after being injured himself last year, Draper celebrated clinching victory at 21:15 BST by whacking a ball into the jubilant crowd.

“I know you wanted to see Andy out here but you were stuck with me instead,” he joked.

“The crowd helped me massively. I love playing in front of loads of people. There were some nervy moments and I really appreciate the support, it means a lot.”

In round two, he will face Cameron Norrie – the player he deposed as Britain’s leading man last month.

Norrie, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2022, sealed a 7-5 7-5 6-3 win over Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta shortly before Draper’s victory.

The pair were among 11 Britons playing on the second day of the 2024 Championships.

British number 13 Jacob Fearnley was the other notable home winner as he set up a second-round encounter with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

The 22-year-old from Scotland, playing in his first Grand Slam match, battled to a 7-5 6-4 7-6 (14-12) victory over Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas.

But there were defeats for last year’s boys’ champion Henry Searle, Billy Harris, Paul Jubb and Jan Choinski.

Dan Evans, who was also a doubt for the tournament with a knee injury, trailed 6-2 3-3 against Chilean 24th seed Alejandro Tabilo when play was stopped because of bad light.

A symbolic passing of the baton

At the start of his career, Murray emerged to pick up the baton from Tim Henman as Britain’s leading men’s player – and carry the nation’s hopes at Wimbledon.

There is a parallel to be drawn with the Scot and Draper.

Draper has long been regarded as the natural heir to Murray in terms of British hopes on the ATP Tour and, having suffered with fitness problems in recent years, has finally started to fulfil expectations.

In the past month he has moved into the world’s top 30 and claimed his first tour title at Stuttgart.

Being moved to Centre Court to fill the void left by Murray could not have felt any more symbolic of the changing of the guard.

Initially the atmosphere failed to ignite like it would have done if Murray had the chance to play in the singles at the final Wimbledon of his career.

That was down to Ymer. The 28-year-old world number 205 barely missed a beat with his explosive returning from the baseline, hitting 15 winners compared to four unforced errors as he quietened Centre Court.

But the home fans, like Draper, warmed up as the match wore on.

A more aggressive game has been key to Draper’s recent rise and, after a break for the roof to be closed as darkness fell, that came to the fore as he raced through a dominant deciding set.

As he homed in on victory, the crowd willed him over the line with many celebrating each victorious point by jumping from their seats in joy.

Video caption, Draper lets his frustration out during his game against Ymer

Fearnley swaps university for studying Djokovic

Six weeks ago, Fearnley wrapped up a kinesiology degree – the study of human movement – at the Texas Christian University in the United States.

Now he is putting the energy into his tennis career.

Fearnley won the Nottingham Open title last month – his first on the second-tier ATP Challenger – to earn a wildcard for Wimbledon.

Ranked 277 in the world, he said he “froze” when he realised he was one of three names left who could draw Djokovic in the first round.

But, after avoiding the 24-time major champion, he hoped coming through the first round against Moro Canas would provide “more confidence and less nerves” if he made round two.

Fearnley, who said he was watching the score of Djokovic’s match while playing, will find out for sure on Thursday.

Jubb missed out on a first Wimbledon success in agonising fashion, falling in five sets to big-hitting Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild.

The 24-year-old led by two sets to love and had a match point in the third-set tie-break, but he could not take it and Seyboth Wild fought back to win 1-6 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 7-5.

Choinski also went down in five sets, losing 7-5 4-6 2-6 7-5 6-2 to Italian Luciano Darderi.

The late-blooming Harris, making his Grand Slam debut after a fine summer, ended in a 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3 defeat by Spain’s Jaume Munar.

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