Nice Britain’s Jack Draper suffers Sofia Open remaining defeat to France’s Adrian Mannarino | Tennis Information

Nice Britain’s Jack Draper suffered Sofia Open remaining defeat on Saturday, dropping to France’s Adrian Mannarino in a third-set decider.

Mannarino received his third title of 2023, defeating Draper 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3 in Bulgaria.

Draper should set his sights on qualifying for the ATP Finals subsequent season after narrowly failing to select up a primary tour title.

The 21-year-old was the youngest British participant to succeed in an ATP Tour decider since Andy Murray in 2009 however he was unable to discover a well beyond wily veteran Mannarino.

Mannarino, 35, has been in glorious type and one break within the deciding set proved sufficient for him to safe victory within the Bulgarian capital.

However this week has been one other reminder that, if match, Draper could be a power on the prime of the sport and he believes he could possibly be among the many main eight gamers on the planet in 2024.

Citing the swift rise of final yr’s Sofia runner-up Holger Rune, Draper mentioned: “Hopefully that is the identical for me. Clearly I am disillusioned I misplaced within the remaining however I am going to maintain working and hopefully I do effectively subsequent yr and might be in Turin.”

Draper dropped serve within the opening recreation however hit again immediately and there was nothing to decide on between the pair till the primary level in opposition to serve at 6-6 within the tie-break.

The highly effective Englishman discovered the proper response with a break at first of the second set and seemed to be within the ascendancy going into the third.

However Mannarino started to use some constant stress to his serve and a break for 4-2 proved the essential second, with Draper unable to transform two probabilities within the remaining recreation.

It has nonetheless been a wonderful week for the younger Londoner, who was on a nine-match profitable streak after lifting a title on the second-tier Challenger Tour final week in Bergamo.

“I believe there wasn’t a lot to it to be trustworthy,” mentioned Draper. “It was a extremely tight first set. Adrian’s clearly performed a whole lot of matches this yr. He is having an ideal season. And honest play to him. I assume generally you win, generally you lose, and right this moment wasn’t my day.”

Draper’s fast progress has stalled this season due to damage, notably a shoulder downside that triggered him to overlook Wimbledon, however he believes he used the time away properly.

“I really feel so motivated to wish to work so arduous each match for each level and compete effectively,” he mentioned. “And I believe with the time I’ve missed off the courtroom, that basically helps me approaching to the courtroom, as a result of I have not been capable of have the chance to play as many occasions.

“I simply had a protracted arduous take a look at myself. I felt like there wasn’t a lot that I would achieved unsuitable. Watching a lot of the tennis was actually tough and seeing my rating drop.

“However I went straight again to it, labored actually arduous on my bodily state and labored arduous mentally to get myself again able that, once I was match, I used to be capable of carry out on the highest stage once more and be higher than I used to be. I am simply pleased with the way in which I’ve come again after such a troublesome yr.”

Draper is subsequent set to be in motion in Nice Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final in opposition to Serbia in Malaga later this month, the place it will be an enormous shock if he was not given the nod because the second singles participant.