{"id":294868,"date":"2023-11-11T22:14:49","date_gmt":"2023-11-11T22:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=294868"},"modified":"2023-11-11T22:14:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T22:14:49","slug":"jack-draper-beaten-in-sofia-final-to-end-bid-for-first-atp-tour-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/tennis\/jack-draper-beaten-in-sofia-final-to-end-bid-for-first-atp-tour-title\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack Draper beaten in Sofia final to end bid for first ATP Tour title"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Jack Draper missed out on a first ATP Tour title as he was edged out by Adrian Mannarino in the final of the Sofia Open.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old was the youngest British player to reach an ATP Tour decider since Andy Murray in 2009 but he was unable to find a way past the wily French veteran.<\/p>\n
Mannarino, 35, has been in excellent form and one break in the deciding set proved enough for him to secure a 7-6 (6) 2-6 6-3 victory in the Bulgarian capital.<\/p>\n
Draper dropped serve in the opening game but hit back straight away and there was nothing to choose between them until the first point against serve at 6-6 in the tie-break.<\/p>\n
The powerful Englishman found the perfect response with a break at the start of the second set and looked to be in the ascendancy going into the third.<\/p>\n
But Mannarino began to apply some consistent pressure to his serve and a break for 4-2 proved the crucial moment, with Draper unable to convert two chances in the final game.<\/p>\n
It has nevertheless been an excellent week for the young Londoner, who was on a nine-match winning streak after lifting a title on the second tier Challenger Tour last week in Bergamo.<\/p>\n
Draper is next set to be in action in Great Britain\u2019s Davis Cup quarter-final against Serbia in Malaga later this month, where it would be a big surprise if he was not given the nod as second singles player.<\/p>\n
Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294867,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n