FOR long periods it was difficult not to think that the result was irrelevant.
Not when a sharp and painful dose of perspective had descended on Wimbledon, following the numbing news of Diogo Jota’s death.
The sudden loss of the Liverpool footballer felt like it transcended sport in general, let alone a game of tennis in south west London.
But while his senseless death wouldn’t stop people remembering what he contributed, it also wouldn’t stop life from going on.
So Jack Draper walked onto Court One looking to beat veteran Marin Cilic, and reach the third round for the first time in his career.
What happened instead resulted in the British No.1 getting a harsh lesson in how much progress he still has to make if he’s to go on to become a great of the game.
Having cruised through round one, Draper knew he faced a much sterner test in the shape of Cilic.
What he didn’t realise was just how good Cilic can still be.
The former world No.3 has undergone two knee surgeries since 2024, and had to return to the Challenger Tour in order to battle back to this stage.
But despite being 36, the unseeded Croatian still possesses a wealth of experience, with this being his 15th Wimbledon. Not to mention a massive serve.
He reached the final in 2017, losing to Roger Federer, and also won the US Open back in 2014.
It meant he was no mug.
In fact, it was Draper who looked the fool as he found himself on the wrong end of a barrage of winners from his rival.
Cilic had three break points in the eighth game, all saved by Draper. Who won five points on the spin to keep himself in the set.
But there was no escape moments later when Cilic broke Draper to love, to take the opening set 6-4.
Draper had to find an answer to Cilic’s jackhammer serve and laser-like forehands. And fast.
But the pounding continued from Cilic, who broke Draper again to go 2-0 up in the second set.
He’d won five games in a row before Draper managed to stop the rot.
But he couldn’t stop Cilic from winning the second set 6-3, to take a vice-like grip on the match.
Draper was hanging his head, or complaining to his box, as the unforced errors continued to cripple him.
Then came a possible lifeline, when Draper somehow broke Cilic’s serve. He went 3-1 up in third set and took it 6-1 to climb back into the match.
Was Cilic beginning to tire, and the tide beginning to turn?
The crushing answer for home fans was ‘no’.
Draper saved two break points to stop going 5-3 down in the fourth, as the tension and nerves reached unbearable levels.
But Cilic was like a dog with a bone, and whatever Draper tried, he just couldn’t wrestle him off it.
Draper has never come from two sets down to win a match in five sets before.
And when Cilic summoned up his last ounces of effort to break Draper one last time and win a memorable match, the world No.4 still hadn’t, losing 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.
Draper will feel miserable when he wakes up this morning.
But he shouldn’t do – because life is too short.
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