Draper in Davis Cup mix despite strapped thigh
British No1 and US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper could make an appearance for Great Britain on Wednesday in the Davis Cup despite training yesterday with a strapped thigh.
The world No20 reached the final four of the final Grand Slam of the year last Friday but lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
But he has returned to the UK and trained with the Great Britain team ahead of Wednesday’s Davis Cup opener in Manchester.
“Until we get on the court and start doing some stuff, it’s quite hard to tell how (he) feels,” said captain Leon Smith, last night not ruling out an appearance by Draper.
“It’s just a question of figuring out where he is at with his energy, how much tennis he can play over the course of the week. But, if he’s good to go, he’s good to go. If he’s not, I’ve got every faith in those sitting beside me now.
“We are absolutely thrilled that he’s coming.
“You can tell straight away that he gets the Davis Cup. He plays with passion, pride, fight, and you mix that with the fact he’s a top-20 player with unbelievable quality, he’s going to be a very important member of the team not just this week but for many, many, many years to come.
“He absolutely loves it and his commitment by coming here just shows that.
“Obviously we miss Andy [Murray] being around, just in general. He was a bedrock of the team for the last couple of decades, even putting his heart and soul into one of the rubbers here last year against Switzerland.
“You could still see how much it meant to him then. But he’s not forgotten is he? He’s left a massive imprint and legacy on definitely me but also all the guys that are sitting here.”
Draper could join Great Britain as they take on Finland on Wednesday, Argentina on Friday and Canada on Sunday in their group phase.