Jack Draper gets Indian Wells title defence off to winning start

British number one Jack Draper fought back from a set down - and feeling "a little bit underprepared" after eight months out with injury - to get his Indian Wells title defence off to a winning start.

Fellow Briton Sonay Kartal was also victorious in the women's singles as she battled past 20th seed Emma Navarro having earlier faced match point.

For Draper, an early break of serve in his third set gave the 24-year-old a crucial advantage that he pressed home to overcome Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6 6-3 6-2 and move into the third round.

Having only returned to the ATP Tour last week following the lay-off caused by bone bruising in his left serving arm, Draper - who had a bye in the first round - was wayward early on before hitting back at the beginning of the second set.

The world number 14 took that momentum into the third, building a 5-2 lead.

A determined Bautista Agut looked set to pull a game back to love against serve, but Draper was not to be denied and rallied impressively to save three break points and take victory.

Speaking on court to Sky Sports, he said it was "good to be back somewhere I have great memories".

But he added: "At the same time I was a little bit underprepared because of the amount of tennis I have missed.

"I was coming out today against a really formidable opponent. The first set was a bit edgy, but then I have managed to find a little bit of spark."

Describing the win as "massive", Draper continued: "The injury I had, it wasn't like a couple of weeks. It was eight months.

"I feel a little bit off. My levels in practice are always good, but when it comes to the match court, I am definitely a bit in and out with my consistency."

Draper beat Holger Rune in last year's final to lift his first Masters 1,000 trophy.

But having reached a world ranking of four, his breakout year was drastically curtailed.

With a significant number of ranking points to defend, an early defeat on his return to California could have caused him to drop out of the top 30.

Draper says he has probably done more serving during his injury lay-off than at any other point of his career, but it was not a weapon he was always able to rely on against Bautista Agut.

His fast start to the second set was, though, the pivotal moment of the match and even though the champion is still showing plenty of signs of rust, he won the decider with room to spare, having saved all five break points against him.

Draper's next opponent, Francisco Cerundolo, is happiest on a clay court. But he has won both of their previous meetings and clay courters often thrive in Indian Wells on a gritty surface which can slow the ball down and cause a higher bounce.

Click here to read article