Britain’s Jack Draper bowed out of the Monte Carlo Masters in a gripping last-16 clash, falling to Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in three sets. Despite flashes of brilliance, the 23-year-old was ultimately edged out 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4.
Draper, the newly crowned Indian Wells champion, showed resilience by twice recovering from a break down in the final set.
However, inconsistency plagued his game, evident in his 46 unforced errors, 10 double faults, and a frustrating conversion rate of just four break points from 16 chances.
Coming into the tournament with momentum and a first-round bye, Draper made a strong clay-court season debut with a dominant win over American Marcos Giron.
Yet clay remains a challenging surface for the Brit, and that was clear in this third-round battle.
In the opening set, Draper struggled to find rhythm, frequently urging himself on with shouts of “wake up” and “come on.”
The second set began in similar fashion as he hit three double faults and was broken immediately.
But with the odds against him, he mounted a comeback, saving two break points and landing an ace to hold, then breaking back for 3-3 with a sharp return game.
Despite his fight and flair, Draper couldn’t maintain the level needed to overcome Davidovich Fokina, who capitalized on key moments to seal the match.
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