Key events
Here’s a write-up of Madison Keys’ shock defeat.
So a tough runaround for Draper, taking him just past the three-hour mark. It was Gomez who launched more winners – 50 to Draper’s 38 – but the fifth seed’s overall quality won out. He’s dealing with that dodgy left arm, too, but he’s also done the job. On to the next.
Draper speaks:
“I wasn’t too sure if I was going to make it here this year but we did a great job with the team since Wimbledon to get myself back on court. It wasn’t my finest performance but credit to my opponent, he played some outstanding tennis and I look forward to hopefully improving and getting better as the tournament carries on. I’m not putting too much expectation on myself. I’ve put in the work, if I can get that level back I’m going to be tough to beat.”
Jack Draper (5) beats Federico Agustin Gomez 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (7), 6-2
Draper shows Gomez the power of his forehand to go up 30-0 and, suddenly, he’s got himself three match points. And how about that to win: he slides to hit the flattest down-the-line forehand winner.
Gomez produces a passing forehand winner, but Draper’s approach was never that convincing. Draper tries to serve and volley but Gomez beats his man once again with a deft forehand to make it 30-all. Gomez fumes at himself after losing the next point but he dictates the one after with a whopping forehand return. Deuce. Draper holds with an ace followed by a down-the-line winner – he leads 5-2 in the fourth set, a game away from settling the match.
Gomez faces a break point … but he pummels a forehand winner to escape trouble. Another unforced error gives Draper a chance to break and he takes it this time, Gomez – on the attack – finding the net. Draper leads the fourth set 4-2.
Draper races through his hold but Gómez remains the man smiling at the moment, suggesting he’s got plenty more in the tank. Draper’s average first-serve speed is down on his usual efforts but he leads the fourth set 3-2.
Draper is 2-1 up in the fourth set as Gómez launches into his lightning serves … oops, double fault. A thunderous serve down the middle allows Gómez to move to 30-15. Draper overhits a forehand and an ace completes the hold. It’s 2-2 in the fourth.
Taha Hashim
Right then, so while I was away Gómez took a set off Draper and Madison Keys departed the competition. An eventful hour. Another ICYMI: Elena Rybakina, the ninth seed, won 6-3, 6-0 against Julieta Pareja.
*Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 7-6 (7), 0-1 Draper (*denotes next server)
Draper takes the first game easily enough, although Henman is worried by the relatively low speed of his serve, saying it suggests he is struggling with this arm injury.
Now, over to Taha. Good night.
Draper v Gomez is now two-and-a-half hours deep. “Not what you want at the start of a grand slam,” says one of the commentators. Draper will serve to open the fourth set.
Frances Tiafoe, the No 17 seed, has just kicked off against Yoshihito Nishioka.
Gomez is ranked 203 in the world, by the way. He’s been erratic, but on this form, he could be ranked a lot higher. His power is something to behold.
Gomez wins the third set v Draper: 4-6, 5-7, 7-6 (7)
Gomez has a set point, and runs down a poor short ball by Draper, but clips it into the net! That was a horrible, nervy shot. Was that his only chance? No: more powerful stuff from the Argentinian. He earns another set point. And having saved a match point, he hammers an unstoppable forehand to the corner to win the third set! Gomez celebrates calmly, clenching his fist: he looks hyper-focused and very, very up for this.
Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 6-6 (tiebreak 6-6) Draper
Draper aces his opponent for 6-5. It’s match point … but here he is again! Gomez crunches a gynormous forehand down the line to get it back to 6-6!
Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 6-6 (5-5) Draper
Quickly it’s 2-0, the first mini-break for Draper coming from a winner that kisses the line. Then 3-0, but Draper then bizarrely miscues a forehand into the top tier, sending a souvenir to one lucky fan.
At 4-2, Gomez wins the point with a ludicrous on-the-run forehand winner that he draws from outside the tramlines and into the corner. And that was after a brilliant cross-court effort from his opponent, too.
At 4-4, Gomez dumps a forehand into the net, and Draper almost has one foot the second round with two serves to come.
But Gomez won’t lie down! He wins the first point against the Draper serve and it’s 5-5 …
Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 6-6 Draper
Draper seals his service game to -15 and it’s a tie-break to settle this third set.
Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 6-5 *Draper (*denotes next server)
At 30-15 Gomez winds up another shattering forehand, arrowing it left to right across the court, but it fades just wide in the tramlines. “When you’re hitting it that hard, it doesn’t need to be on the line,” observes Henman in the commentary box. Still, Gomez rounds off the game quickly enough, and it’s 6-5. Draper must serve to stay in the set.
*Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 5-5 Draper (*denotes next server)
And now Draper must serve to stay in the set. He does so, as efficiently as possible, unless you count the one point one by Gomez.
*Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 4-4 Draper (*denotes next server)
Draper has drawn level, meanwhile the commentators just said he was ‘unwell on the court’ while the TV director had switched to the Keys upset, code for vomiting I think.
Madison Keys knocked out
The Mexican Renata Zarazúa has knocked out the Australian Open champion and Illinois-born home hope! A huge upset in the first round of the women’s singles.
7-6 (10), 6-7 (3), 5-7
Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 4-3 *Draper (*denotes next server)
Draper wins the first point again but is then worn down by a splendid display of hitting from his opponent, rounding off an attritional point with a lusty smash that bounces high into the stand. Gomez’s power comes to the fore again and at 30-30 Draper returns long to give a game point to his opponent. Then, Draper’s opponent completely mishits a double-handed backhand, and then fluffs a forehand into the net on the next point. Game point Draper and the chance of a break back … Gomez thrashes a couple of forehands to the corner, Draper gets them back, then the Argentinian floats an attempted drop shot into the net! Draper breaks back and he’s right back in the set. Gomez threw that away from 40-30, or was it more a case of impressive defence by Draper?
*Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 4-2 Draper (*denotes next server)
Hold to love for Draper. We’ll see some more fireworks from Gomez up next, mark my words.
Madison Keys, the No 6 seed, is in a spot of trouble against Renata Zarazúa, ranked No 82. It’s 5-5 in the final set on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 4-1 *Draper (*denotes next server)
Gomez is going for broke here. He’s leaning into these forehands like a man possessed. He’s serving well too, and despite a very neat first point from Draper, sealed with a delicate drop-volley after a meaty hit to the back of the court, the Argentinian seals the game to -30. The final point is impressive too, hammering big forehands to either corner, then producing a sumptuous drop volley of his own to take the game.
*Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 3-1 Draper (*denotes next server)
“Draper will be looking to steady the ship right now,” says Henman on commentary. You can’t beat a bit of ship-steadying, and Draper eases to 40-0, then digs out a stunning half volley from the baseline to clinch the game which Gomez chases after but can’t get.
Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 3-0 *Draper (*denotes next server)
Henman suggests Draper’s “arm is not 100 per cent”. Gomez, meanwhile, closes out the hold of serve in double-quick time and he’s flown out of the blocks to a 3-0 lead in the third set.
*Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 2-0 Draper (*denotes next server)
At 30-0 Gomez winds up a huge forehand winner. He has an animated chat with his team, then produces another, arrowing a massively powerful forehand down the line that Draper has zero chance of getting anywhere close to. Quickly it’s 30-40 and then Gomez, standing waaaay behind the baseline, winds up several more massive forehands and forces an error, and that’s a break against Draper. Gomez roars with delight. That was an impressive game of “Well why not just go for it?” tennis.
Gomez 4-6, 5-7, 1-0 *Draper (*denotes next server)
Draper forces 30-30, and then deuce, with an excellent cross-court winner on the run. But the Argentinian extinguishes any hope of a break for the Briton with one big serve, for his advantage, and then Draper hits a forehand just wide from the back of the court. That’s the game.
Thanks Taha, hello everyone, what an unexpected pleasure.
I’m going to nab a break. Luke McLaughlin will keep you company for the next hour.
A forehand down the line moves Draper to set point … and an ace completes the job. After a brief wobble, he finds himself up 6-4, 7-5. Questions will be asked about that left arm injury and whether it was responsible for those double-faults.
Draper is geeing himself up as he takes the first two points off Gómez’s serve, and the southpaw has two break points. He gets stuck with his footing and nets a forehand … but Gómez finds the net cord and Draper regains his break advantage. He’ll serve for the set again with a 6-5 lead.
Draper has lost a bit of flow as he serves for the second set. A double-fault – his fourth of the set – is followed by a volley into the net, and Gómez has two break points … he takes the first and roars! We’re 5-5 in the second.
Ooooh, Gómez has a chance to break after three Draper double-faults … but the former goes long. Deuce. Gómez launches a cracking forehand return to get himself another break point … but Draper escapes with an ace on his second serve. Gómez fumes with himself after a misplaced forehand, and Draper holds. A brief opening disappears. Draper leads 6-4. 5-3.
