British men's number one Jack Draper has secured his maiden French Open victory with an impressive comeback against Italy's Mattia Bellucci.
The fifth seed overcame a slow start to triumph 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 in his first-round match at Roland Garros.
This landmark win marks Draper's first success at the Paris clay-court Grand Slam, having fallen short in his previous two appearances at the tournament.
The 23-year-old Englishman showed tremendous resilience to turn the match around after losing the opening set.
Jack Draper is through to the next round of the French Open
Reuters
Draper admitted that his Italian opponent started strongly.
"I think Bellucci came out and played impressively from the start," he said after the match.
"I was proud of the way I was able to turn it around - I was more aggressive."
The Briton's first serve became increasingly dominant as the match progressed, with the percentage of points won rising dramatically from 58% in the first set to an impressive 91% in the second.
This tactical adjustment proved crucial in swinging momentum firmly in Draper's favour.
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Draper's previous trips to Roland Garros had been forgettable affairs. He retired during his main-draw debut two years ago, lamenting being known as "the guy who is injured a lot".
Last year brought further disappointment with a miserable defeat against 176th-ranked Jesper de Jong, where he struggled with his serve.
The past 12 months, however, have seen Draper enjoy a meteoric rise.
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Mattia Bellucci drew first blood against Jack Draper but that was as good as it got for the Italian
Reuters
He has broken into the world's top five, reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, won ATP titles on grass and hard courts, and made his first clay-court final in Madrid last month.
Draper's victory contributed to a historic achievement for British tennis. Six British singles players have now won in the French Open first round for the first time since 1973.
The 23-year-old was the final Briton to play his opening match, joining Cameron Norrie, Jacob Fearnley, Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal in the second round.
This remarkable showing demonstrates the current strength in depth of British tennis, with representatives advancing on both the men's and women's sides of the draw.
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Jack Draper's serve dominated the match after the first set
Reuters
Once he found his rhythm, Draper's powerful forehand became too hot for Bellucci to handle, drawing gasps from the Paris crowd who were wowed by his power and accuracy.
The Briton sealed victory with another forehand winner on his first match point.
Draper will now face either France's Gael Monfils or Bolivia's Hugo Dellien in the second round on Thursday.
The young Briton might be fancied for a deep run this year at the French Open, after impressing on clay courts in recent times in Madrid and Rome.
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