British No 1 Jack Draper admitted that “I get out of bed and I feel so angry some days” after smashing his racket in dramatic style during his 6-4, 6-3 win over Czech clay-court specialist Vit Kopriva.
After the way Draper has played in recent months, this latest victory – which earned him a crack at Corentin Moutet in Rome’s last 16 – actually felt like something of a disappointment.
Draper certainly seemed unhappy with his own performance, which saw his forehand cough up a concerning tally of 24 unforced errors. While it is hardly unusual for players to smash rackets, few tend to do so when leading by a set and a break.