Jack Draper endured a hard loss in his first match at the Miami Open, unable to curb the overwhelming serving display of Reilly Opelka, who unleashed 25 aces across two sets to claim a 7‑6(3), 7‑6(0) victory.
The setback is a bitter blow for the 25th seed, who is still negotiating the early phase of his comeback after a bone‑bruise injury that sidelined him for seven months. Miami marks only his third ATP event since returning to the circuit.
Although some power servers dislike the label, suggesting it downplays other aspects of their game, the 6‑ft‑11‑in Opelka openly calls himself a “serve‑bot.” His showing underscored the potency of his serve and his capacity to dominate opponents with it. Draper never faced a break point during the contest, yet he could not cope with Opelka’s service firepower.
“I had few opportunities, especially on his serve,” Draper said. “I wasn’t broken, so that was essentially my role. I’m still in the very early stages of recovering from a tough injury. If someone had told me I’d be playing in Dubai, Indian Wells and then head home feeling good, I would have welcomed it, because the season is long.”
Patience has proved vital for Katie Boulter, who extended her promising resurgence by advancing to the third round after 17th‑seed Clara Tauson retired injured while Boulter led 6‑7(4), 6‑4, 1‑0.
Boulter, who slipped out of the top 100 after a difficult season last year, rebounded with a title win at the WTA 250 in Ostrava last month and now sits at No. 63 in the live rankings. She awaits 13th‑seed Karolina Muchova, who defeated Camila Osorio 4‑6, 6‑2, 7‑5.
“During December and January we worked extremely hard, but you never expect everything to click instantly,” Boulter explained. “I told myself I needed patience and to be prepared for a long battle before regaining my best form. It’s arrived faster than I thought, yet I know there’s still a long road ahead. This is just the start for me.”
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