British number one Jack Draper put his recent controversy behind him as he strutted into the second round of the US Open in style.
Draper came into the tournament under a black cloud after events in Cincinnati, where he was accused of cheating during a controversial match point against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The 22-year-old, who was attacked by players past and present, admitted he thought about it “non-stop” coming into Flushing Meadows but showed a clear mind as he dismantled Zhizhen Zhang.
? @jackdraper0 advances to round 2 of the @usopen
Zhizhen Zhang is forced to retire through injury in the 3rd set#BackTheBrits ?? | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/HC4jODefQD
— LTA (@the_LTA) August 27, 2024
He was winning 6-3 6-0 4-0 when the Chinese retired after suffering in the sweltering heat.
It was one of the hardest draws possible for 25th seed Draper as Zhang is one of the highest ranked players he could have faced.
But he dominated from the off in his favourite grand slam, where he reached the fourth round last year.
A single break was enough to claim the first set before a run of 11 games in a row ended the contest, with Zhang calling time midway through the third set.
Draper next faces Facundo Diaz Acosta or Hugo Gaston in the second round, with a possible third-round match with Carlos Alcaraz in view.
