Jack Draper set to take over from Andy Murray at Wimbledon

If Jack Draper wants to be Andy Murray’s heir apparent, he will have to get used to late nights under the lights of Wimbledon’s Centre Court.

Titanic post-tournament battles have become a staple of Murray’s nearly two decades as the darling of the All England Club, and Draper got his first taste of it in a five-set thriller against Elias Ymer on Tuesday.

Draper would eventually win 3-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-3, with the scoreline as volatile as the match itself.

There were nerves, of course, as the new British number one first stepped onto the SW19 turf in his newfound status and was forced to adapt to a late change from No 2 Court to Centre after Murray withdrew; Draper literally taking the big man’s place.

But the unforced errors in the first set quickly became much rarer as the 22-year-old fought his way back and at least gave the Wimbledon faithful enough time to warm up to their new home hope.

“There were times when I found it a bit difficult,” he said. “I think towards the end, especially when the lights came on, it was maybe a bit dark at times too, it was almost, without knowing it, you get used to playing a certain way, thinking it’s normal.

“When the lights came on, I felt like all of a sudden it was so easy to see the ball. I think my level went up a lot in the fifth set because of that. My serve, my returns, just the way I was playing.

“I think the confidence comes from the preparation. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger on the training ground lately. I feel like I’m hitting the ball incredibly well.

“There were certain moments in today’s game where I thought that, since we don’t often play on big pitches, I hadn’t played much at the Centre, it was a different feeling.”

Sport rarely follows a script, and the symbolic passing of the baton from Murray to Draper seems far too well-written for the stresses of elite tennis.

Draper knows he has a long way to go before he can even consider emulating Murray’s three Grand Slams and two Olympic gold medals, while remaining an icon of British tennis.

There will also be a task to be done to become the new favourite of the Wimbledon faithful, and while the irregular calls of “Come on, Jack” have yet to reach the heights of “Come on, Andy”, the fact that they have gained in cadence and volume as the battle has gone on gives him plenty of hope that he is on the right track – even if he insists he is not thinking about it.

“I think it’s going to be hard to emulate what Andy has accomplished,” he added. “It’s obviously incredible. He’s won here a number of times. He was part of that era of the Big Four that were winning consistently, consistently.

“I haven’t thought about it too much. My goal is to keep doing the right things, keep doing what I’m doing. I’m improving quickly. I’m gaining confidence all the time.”

“You shouldn’t think about it too much, otherwise it will only bring you down. You have to think about what’s important, which is waking up every day and trying to improve yourself.”

“If I keep improving, doing my best, I don’t see why I can’t become a great player like Andy was.”

One thing Murray rarely faced in SW19 was the prospect of an all-British battle, but that is what awaits Draper in the second round on Thursday.

Standing between him and a first third-round berth at the All England Club is Cameron Norrie, the man Draper dethroned as British number one last month.

On Thursday, another battle between the Brits will take place, with British number one Katie Boulter taking on her number two Harriet Dart, while wildcard Jacob Fearnley will take on Novak Djokovic.

“I think it’s going to be a very competitive game on Thursday,” Draper said. “There won’t be a draw, that’s for sure.

“I haven’t really thought about it. Obviously he won’t like the fact that I’m now British No 1. I’m a lot younger.

“Dan (Evans) and Cam certainly won’t like me becoming British number one. I think it creates a really healthy rivalry and environment.

“I think we all have a great respect for each other. We all want to see each other succeed and do well. It’s nice to train with him when I can.

“We are all competitors, we are all individuals. We want to win. We want to do our best.”

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