Draper recovers to earn maiden French Open win

Great Britain's Jack Draper recovered from a sluggish commencement to tick disconnected different profession landmark pinch nan first French Open triumph of his career.

Draper, seeded fifth, moved done nan gears to unafraid a 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 triumph against Italy's Mattia Bellucci.

Draper mislaid connected his first 2 appearances astatine Roland Garros but has returned this twelvemonth arsenic a genuine unit connected nan clay.

"I deliberation Bellucci came retired and played impressively from nan start," Draper said.

"I was proud of nan measurement I was capable to move it astir - I was much aggressive."

The 23-year-old Englishman's triumph ensured six British singles players won successful nan French Open first information for nan first clip since 1973.

Draper, who was nan last Briton to play his opening match, came done to subordinate Cameron Norrie, Jacob Fearnley, Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal successful nan 2nd round.

Draper's erstwhile trips to Roland Garros person been memorable for nan incorrect reasons.

The left-hander retired during his main-draw debut 2 years agone and lamented being known arsenic "the feline who is injured a lot", earlier struggling pinch his service successful a miserable conclusion against 176th-ranked Jesper de Jong past year.

This year, he has returned arsenic different proposition - and pinch a constituent to prove.

Over nan past 12 months, Draper has enjoyed a steep emergence and achieved a bid of notable profession landmarks.

He has moved into nan world's apical 5 aft reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final astatine past year's US Open, winning ATP titles connected writer and difficult courts, arsenic good arsenic reaching his first clay-court last successful Madrid past month.

Observers pinch a heavy knowing of nan crippled person agelong insisted Draper has nan expertise to execute good connected nan reddish dirt, pinch British erstwhile world number 4 Tim Henman telling BBC Sport precocious his champion attributes - his left-handed service and crunching forehand - could "work connected immoderate surface".

Once he sewage going against Bellucci, Draper proved that again.

Cutting retired double faults helped his first service became progressively ascendant - climbing from 58% of points won pinch nan opening changeable successful nan first group to 92% successful nan 2nd - while nan measurement of forehand winners besides increased.

The venom of this changeable was excessively basking for Bellucci to grip - and wowed nan Paris crowd, who regularly gasped astatine Draper's powerfulness and accuracy.

Another forehand zinger connected his first lucifer constituent clinched triumph and a second-round gathering pinch either France's Gael Monfils aliases Bolivia's Hugo Dellien connected Thursday.