Jack Draper Retires Injured from Japan Open Quarter-Final Against Ugo Humbert

British tennis player Jack Draper was forced to retire from his quarter-final match against Ugo Humbert at the Japan Open due to an abdominal injury. The match took place in challenging conditions, with a rain delay early on.

The British No. 1 received on-court treatment for the apparent injury when he was trailing 5-4 in the first set. Despite receiving a stomach massage during a medical timeout, Draper continued to show signs of discomfort.

Draper, who recently reached the semi-finals of the US Open, had initially continued play but eventually retired from the match while trailing 7-5, 2-1. The 22-year-old’s serve appeared to suffer due to the discomfort, leading to his early exit.

Ugo Humbert, currently ranked 19th in the world, will now proceed to face Czech player Tomas Machac to compete for a place in the final. The contest will take place amidst a strong field that includes players such as Arthur Fils, Ben Shelton, Kei Nishikori, and Holger Rune.

Following the completion of the warm-up, the start of the Draper-Humbert match was briefly delayed due to rain, necessitating the closure of the roof. Both players experienced breaks of serve early in the match before Draper called for assistance from the physios.

Despite serving to stay in the first set, Draper struggled, ultimately being broken by his opponent’s decisive cross-court forehand. After playing three more games, Draper decided to retire from the match.

Humbert has expressed readiness to face his next challenge against Machac in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Draper is hopeful of a swift recovery in time for the ATP Masters tournament in Shanghai, one of the significant events of the indoor season.