Jack DRaper receives treatment in Tokyo
(Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)
Jack Draper was forced to retire in his match with Ugo Humbert for a place in the semi-finals of the Japan Open in Tokyo, which was disappointing considering the excellent results he has posted this season following an injury plagued year.
Draper was trailing 7-5 2-1 when he made the decision to withdraw with the abdominal problem he was experiencing and hopefully it was more of a preventive action than a major concern with the final Masters of the season starting this week.
Up to that point Draper had produced a gutsy performance recovering breaks of serve and defending his end of the court well but he was visibly struggling when he called the medical timeout and finally threw in the towel after 72-minutes of match play.
He did suffer an attack of nausea when losing in the semi-finals of the US Open but that was put down to nerves and anxiety.
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The Frenchman now faces the big serving Tomas Machak next after the Czech beat American Alex Michelsen 7-6(2) 6-3 in 93-minutes.
In the top half Holger Rune is the only seed left in the competition, but he had his work cut out when he played home favourite Kei Nishikori but eventually quelled a spirited performance from the Japanese player and the partisan crowd.
Rune went through to the last four 3-6 6-2 7-5 but had to hold his nerve in the decider when his troublesome serve let him down, struggling to hold for 3-2 only to be broken in his next service game.
Both players required some medical attention, Rune to his thigh and on resumption, the 21-year-old Dane levelled for 5-5 and managed a crucial break to finally ease past.
The big shock of the day was the elimination of the defending champion Ben Shelton, by Arthur Fils who had ousted the top seed Taylor Fritz in the opening round.
The Frenchman beat the American in a hard fought two-hour, 58-minute contest 7-5 6-7(5) 7-6(2) and will face Rune next.
