By Tony Fairbairn at Wimbledon
- Harriet Dart def Katie Boulter [32] 4-6 6-1 7-6(6)
- Cameron Norrie def Jack Draper [28] 7-6(3) 6-4 7-6(6)
- Novak Djokovic [2] def Jacob Fearnley [WC] 6-3 6-4 5-7 7-5
LONDON, ENGLAND – Katie Boulter admitted it was a ‘tough day at the office’ at Wimbledon while Jack Draper is looking forward to rest ahead of the Olympics.
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Katie Boulter reflects on ‘tough day at the office’ after Dart defeat
It was heartbreak for Katie Boulter who lost a last set tiebreak to Harriet Dart as she exited Wimbledon at the second round stage.
Boulter played a solid first set before being very erratic in the second set and started the deciding set in a similar fashion, going down a break at 4-2.
However, Boulter fought her way back in the match before letting a 6-2 lead slip in the final set tiebreak.
It was a tough defeat for Boulter to take as the Brit described it as a ‘tough day in the office.’
“I just had a tough day at the office. Not my best tennis today unfortunately. But it’s what happens sometimes. I’ve just got to take it on the chin. She played well. It is what it is,” Boulter said after the match.
“Yeah, look, it’s very difficult having played someone in the first round who doesn’t give you any rhythm. Then you’re playing someone completely different, the complete opposite.
“But look, I mean, it just didn’t come off the racquet today. I think there are some days when you commit to your shots and they go in. That’s been my tennis a lot of recent. Today wasn’t quite that day. I don’t know whether it was down to wind, just a bit of everything. I’m not entirely sure. I am human. I had a tough day.”
It was a tough defeat for Boulter to take as she missed out on the prospect of reaching the third round for a third year in a row.
Adding insult to injury, Jessica Pegula also lost which means Boulter missed out on a winnable third round having had to play Elena Rybakina at last year’s event.
Despite that, Boulter dismissed claims that it was a missed opportunity and is aiming to use this loss to improve.
“I wouldn’t say a missed opportunity because she was better than me today. She beat me, so… I don’t feel like anything was a massive opportunity,” Boulter clearly explained after the match.
“This time next year I’m going to be a better player. It might be because of today, and I’m going to use that tough moment out there to really spur me on for the next few months. Yeah, I mean, it wasn’t a missed opportunity. It’s tennis. You win some, you lose some. Today I lost. Made a lot of errors. But it is what it is.
“I think I’ll be using it for a long time coming up. I think that’s a great thing in a way. It’s always good to have motivation ’cause that’s what defines you as a person. You’re going to get better and better. I’m going to work harder and harder.
“These are the kind of losses that sting a little bit. They do. There’s no other way to put it. I’m going to use it. I’m going to come back stronger and hopefully be winning a lot more matches here next year.”
Boulter’s already made big strides in her career having been a wildcard last year and now being seeded at this year’s event so there is now doubts these defeats will make Boulter stronger.
Next up for the Brit will be the Olympics and Boulter said it’s an event she has been dreaming about since being a little girl.
“Yeah, I am looking forward to that. That is something that I have wanted to tick off since I was a little girl,” Boulter happily said about the event.
“Yeah, I cannot wait for it. I’m going to soak it all in. Hev (Watson) is going to be with me, which is super exciting for me. I’m sure she’s going to pick me right up and we’re going to have a fantastic time at the Olympics. I don’t lose any chance to represent. That’s going to be a special one for me.”
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Jack Draper targets rest ahead of maiden Olympics
It was a bad day for the British number one’s as Jack Draper also lost as he was outclassed by Cameron Norrie in straight sets.
The 28th seed never really turned up as he found it difficult to find solutions to Norrie’s aggressive game as Draper went out in the second round despite a good grass court season.
Speaking after the match Draper praised the way Norrie played and admitted the way Norrie played frustrated him.
“I thought Cam played a really high level. All credit to him. He came out and, yeah, I think tactically got it spot on,” Draper said in his press conference.
“I was getting frustrated with myself. Was a bit too up and down. Yeah, credit to him. He played a great match. I was frustrated at myself because I couldn’t — yeah, I think it was linked to the way he was playing. I feel like we practice together a lot, we know each other so well, that sometimes he can almost take away what I’m good at, you know? I feel like when we were playing, he sort of knew all my patterns of play. I felt like his backhand was incredible today.
“Just wasn’t allowing me to do the things that I wanted to do. Yeah, I felt like I wasn’t able to be brave enough. I felt like the conditions were really tough in the first couple of sets, especially. It was tough to sort of hit through the ball the way I really wanted to. Look, these things are all part of tennis.
“Today I didn’t figure it out. I think great players, they’re able to find a way. I wasn’t able to do that today. I’m obviously gutted with a lot of things. That’s it really.”
A disappointing end to an incredible grass court season for Draper who won his first ATP tour title in Stuttgart as well as becoming British number one.
Reflecting on the last few weeks, Draper put perspective into his defeat to Norrie as he spoke about the injuries he has suffered over the last couple of years.
“I think I’ve had a tough couple of years. Been injured a fair bit. This year the results, I wanted to do better in a lot of the tournaments this year,” Draper stated.
“All of a sudden the grass came around. I obviously won Stuttgart, had a great week there. Then making quarters of Queen’s. I think I could have gone further. Obviously took on some really good players. Coming here, all of a sudden No. 1 Brit playing at Wimbledon. Didn’t play last year. I didn’t really kind of know what to expect.
“But yeah, I mean, it’s kind of obviously just a bit of a learning curve for me. I want to have the responsibility of being the No. 1 Brit and to go deep in tournaments such as Wimbledon, the Grand Slams.
“Obviously there’s still a lot of great players out there. I’m still at the point where I’m 28 in the world. I’m not a top, top player yet. There’s a reason why I’m not a top player yet. I’ve got to keep on learning. I’ve got to keep on trying to get better and more secure in all areas of my game so that I can make deep runs in tournaments consistently.”
There’s still a lot of learning for Draper to do as he looks to continue his rapid rise up the world rankings.
The next goal for Draper will be competing at his first Olympics and the Brit admitted he will need a few days off before thinking about tennis again.
“I’m definitely going to take some days off,” Draper exclaimed.
“Tennis in general is a very emotionally tiring sport. There’s never, never any rest. You’re just on to the next week, on to the next week. That’s been the sort of case for a long time now. I’m definitely going to take a few days off, which I haven’t had in a long time, kind of regather my energy, my thoughts. It’s obviously a really, really tough loss. You want to do so well. To go out in the second round, feel like you’ve let yourself down.
“I’m definitely going to take a few days off, then go on the clay at the National Tennis Centre and get ready to go to the Olympics, which will be a new challenge.”
Fearnley ‘proud’ of performance against Djokovic
Finally, it was an incredible performance from wildcard Jacob Fearnley as he pushed seven-time champion Novak Djokovic to his limits.
Two sets and a break down would have seen any player give up easily but Fearnley remained determined to make the most of his opportunity as he broke back in the third set and forced a fourth set.
In the end the world number two prevailed in an epic fourth set but after the match Fearnley took the positives from his performance even if there was disappointment that he lost.
“Yeah, I’m really proud of my effort,” Fearnley stated.
“Obviously a little bit disappointed to come up with a loss, but I was playing the greatest tennis player of all time on Centre Court, Wimbledon, so it’s very difficult to be too disappointed. I was just super grateful to have the opportunity to play on that court against that opponent. Yeah, I think proud is how I’m feeling right now.”
Now Fearnley will aim to elevate his level further as he aims to continue his rise up the rankings.
Not only did the Brit speak about his future but he also spoke about the influence of Andy Murray on his career.
“I mean, I haven’t spoken to Andy, but I know that he said some words to Mark Hilton, who is working with Andy, and he is working quite closely with me and the LTA, and he gave Mark some points to give to me, which was nice,” Fearnley revealed in his press conference.
“The stuff he said actually helped a lot. Not unsurprisingly because he’s played him so many times. That was really nice of him. Yeah, I don’t know if he watched it, but yeah, it was awesome that he was even thinking about the match. Yeah, it was really cool.
“In terms of the future, I don’t know where my ranking is really at right now. I think I’m on 220, so I think I’m into quallies as of now, if I’m not mistaken. But I’m not so sure. I think I’m going to go over to the States and play some of the challengers there and hopefully get into Newport 250 in qualifying and, yeah, just excited to get back playing.”
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