Wimbledon rollercoaster sees Draper defeat Ymer in five-set struggle

Jack Draper (No. 28) secured a hard-fought victory against Elias Ymer (No. 205) at Wimbledon, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, and advancing to the second round at SW19 for the second time in his career after missing the tournament last year.

In the first set, Draper broke serve early and quickly took a 1-0 lead. However, he struggled to hold his serve, allowing Ymer to break back and level the match. While both players held their serves for a while, the Brit struggled with his second serve, which Ymer capitalized on to secure a break in the 8th game, surprising the local crowd by taking the lead with a 6-3 set win.

In the second set, Draper improved his effectiveness with both his first and second serves, while Ymer managed only a 48% first serve success rate, making it difficult for him to score easy points. Draper played more aggressively, hitting 10 winners compared to Ymer's 6, and committed 10 unforced errors against the Swede's 7.

Draper secured a break in the 4th game and defended a 0-40 situation to maintain his advantage. With no significant service issues on either side, Draper closed the set 6-3 in 36 minutes.

In the third set, Draper broke serve early to lead 2-0, appearing to have taken control of the match. However, a break point in the 6th game allowed Ymer to level the score again. Unfortunately for Ymer, he couldn't maintain his level of play for the rest of the set, and the Brit No. 1 secured two consecutive breaks to win the set 6-3.

The fourth set began with exchanged breaks, showing both players' inconsistencies early on. They were level at 2-2, with Draper saving four break points. Ymer managed to maintain the tie and secured a break on his first opportunity late in the set to win 6-4, pushing the match into a fifth set.

In the fifth set, both players showed no signs of fatigue despite the three hours of play. Draper was almost flawless with a 92% first-serve success rate, while Ymer managed only 59%. A single break in the fourth game was the decisive advantage for Draper, who was nearly impeccable with his serve, ultimately securing a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory after three and a half hours. In the second round, Draper will face Cameron Norrie (No. 42)