Draper checks Fonseca progress in Indian Wells win

British number one Jack Draper put in a professional performance to defuse rising star Joao Fonseca and reach the Indian Wells third round.

The 23-year-old drew errors out of the explosive 18-year-old Brazilian to edge a tight first set, before racing through the second for a 6-4 6-0 win.

The way which 13th seed Draper moved through the gears against a tricky opponent touted as a future major champion was impressive.

“The kid is an unbelievable player with such firepower”, he said of Fonseca.

“It is so good to have a superstar coming up – I’m sure he is going to be a top player”.

Draper was playing his opening match at the Masters 1000 tournament – considered by many as the ‘ fifth Grand Slam event ‘ – after receiving a bye in the first round.

Draper has only played two tournaments this year – winning three five-setters in a row to reach the Australian Open last 16 before finishing runner-up in Doha – as he has continued to manage a hip injury sustained in the off season.

The performance against Fonseca, whose matches are attracting large numbers of vocal Brazilian fans, was another example of his increasing maturity.

Initially below his best, Draper showed resilience and composure to subdue one of the fastest risers on the ATP Tour.

The buzz surrounding Fonseca, who became the fourth youngest man to win an ATP Tour title since 2000, led to hundreds arriving early to ensure they bagged a spot on the smaller fourth court at Indian Wells.

Fonseca’s biggest weapon is a ferocious forehand and, while he regularly demonstrated his easy power from the baseline, there were also signs of his inexperience.

In moments where the world number 80 perhaps needed a little more subtlety, he continued to hit extremely aggressively and paid the price as Draper broke again in the ninth game.

The Briton continued to counter-punch well and took the opener on his second set point when Fonseca overeagerly pushed another forehand wide.

Saving four of five break points proved key for Draper, while Fonseca’s 23 unforced errors outweighing nine winners was another key statistic.

The second set was a different story.

Boosted by the lead, a more confident Draper vastly improved his first-serve percentage, dominated the rallies and moved sharply around the court.

The only blip was three successive double faults as he served for the match, but he recovered to clinch an impressive victory.

Draper knows a strong run in the Californian desert could push him into the world’s top 10 for the first time in his career.

“I have still got a long way to go and build my tennis, fitness and mentality day in, day out”, he added.