Frustration boiled out – Jack Draper smashes racket en route to last 16 in Rome

Jack Draper admitted his frustration had boiled over after he smashed a racket en route to beating Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva in straight sets at the Italian Open in Rome.

The British number one and world number five was a set and a break up but had passed up the chance to break Kopriva again to make it 4-1 when he angrily struck his racket a number of times against the clay court.

Draper, whose 6-4 6-3 victory saw him advance to a last-16 clash with Frenchman Corentin Moutet, told Sky Sports: “It was a tough match definitely against a guy who is a bit unknown, but he’s won a lot of matches here. He’s feeling good.

“I knew coming in it’s another match, another chance to try and put my game out on the court. I felt a little bit low in energy. My feet weren’t working as well as I wanted them to. But I tried to fight hard and find a find a way.

“Obviously, the frustration boiled out a little bit too much in the end, but I stayed at it and came through.”

He added: “I’m human. We don’t always wake up out of bed feeling great. I’m the same. I get out of bed and I feel so angry some days, and I’ve got to play a tennis match and I’ve got to lose points and I’ve got to go through those emotional ups and downs, even with that going on.

“I think I’ve played a lot of tennis, a lot of matches, and I’m getting used to that. I’m in a new position now, my ranking is obviously going up, and I’m getting to compete week in, week out and play lots of matches.

“It’s taking some getting used to for me from a mental and physical side, and I want to keep going, but it’s sometimes difficult to always be perfect.”

In the women’s event, Emma Raducanu set up a last-16 meeting with Coco Gauff as she came from behind to beat Veronika Kudermetova.

After losing the first set despite serving at 5-4 up, the British number two bounced back in emphatic fashion, seeing off her Russian opponent 5-7 6-0 6-1.

Raducanu said: “For me the best thing about today I think was recovering after losing the first set and having serve for it.

“I think I threw in a pretty poor game at 5-4 serving, but I felt under pressure on Veronica’s returns, she was literally red-lining everything and it was all going in and I was like, ‘I don’t know where to serve’ and it’s not a nice feeling to have.

“I’m so happy with how I didn’t let the rest of the match get away with me. I think that’s a big progress compared to maybe the matches I played in the past.”

Asked about trying to focus when Kudermetova took a medical time-out in set two, Raducanu said: “It was difficult, but luckily, I was 5-0 up.

“I kind of knew it’s to try and throw me off, but at the same time, I kept my cool. Luckily, I had a good cushion, I served it out, and then from the third set, I was really on it.”