In his opening match, Draper had enough quality to see off Halys. He did not possess quite enough sharpness against Rinderknech.
Draper was again wearing a compression sleeve on the affected left arm, although a string of winners from his dominant side – including an eye-catching 100mph forehand which whipped past Rinderknech – showed he was not afraid of holding back.
The Briton has also switched to a platform serve, meaning he stands with his feet slightly wider to allow a smoother transfer of weight, in an attempt to alleviate pressure on the bothersome bruised humerus.
That illustrates how Draper knows he needs to continue managing the issue.
Draper will be pleased how he pushed a tuned-up Rinderknech until the very end, even though he was unable to create opportunities on his opponent’s rock-solid service game.
Rinderknech’s variation and precision on a quick surface was hard to cope with. But Draper’s lack of recent court time also showed in some rusty returning as the match reached its critical stage.
Once the feeling of frustration which inevitably follows any defeat subsides, Draper will reflect positively on the strides he has made in Dubai – assuming he recovers without any major issues.
Next he heads to Indian Wells – to defend the biggest title of his career – with valuable court time in the bank and the first step of a comeback likely to require patience completed.
