Jack Draper delivers stunning tribute to secure five-set victory over Elias Ymer on Centre Court… as injured Andy Murray passes the torch after pulling out of Wimbledon

• Jack Draper defeated Elias Ymer 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the second round
• This was quite a stunning tribute after Andy Murray was injured

If Jack Draper is the man who can at least fill some of the void left by Andy Murray, then it is some consolation to us all that he has adopted the old swinger habit of extracting drama from unexpected places. This was a pretty stunning tribute act.

We saw some fantastic shots, but also a few big wobbles, a tantrum and a minor capitulation, before a five-set victory was eventually achieved under a closed roof on Centre Court.

Murray, our broken hero, one of the greatest athletes this country has ever seen, would have watched on proudly from his treatment table.

Whether Draper will look back on it with any fondness is another matter. As world number 28, he had a 177-step lead over his opponent, the prodigiously aggressive Elias Ymer, but was sucked into a crisis by the Swede’s hard blows and his own fallibility.

That he triumphed will be the only relevant point, meaning he now faces compatriot Cameron Norrie, himself a former holder of the ‘Next Murray’ label. Norrie defeated Facundo Diaz Acosta 7-5, 7-5, 6-3, but his hype was never up to par with that of Draper, a 22-year-old who won his first tour-level title in recent weeks and followed it up by beating Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s.

The fuss was justified and so there was a sense of a torch being passed when Murray’s withdrawal in the morning was quickly joined by the news that Draper’s match had been transferred from Court No 2. He offered value for money but was inconsistent in winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

The forehands were a treat, accounting for most of his 54 clean winners, but the 40 unforced errors and numerous lapses in concentration will need to be refined if he is to live up to expectations of a top 10 crack anytime soon.

For now, things are going well for the man who was cheered on with the familiar cry ‘Come on, Andy’ and who was then cheered on in his own name.

He addressed them through the microphone: ‘I know you probably wanted to see Andy here, but instead you’re stuck with me.

“You guys were amazing and I love playing in front of so many people. Honestly, it really helped me here. There were some nervous moments, so I appreciate all the support, it means a lot.

‘The No. 1s that came before me, Tim Henman, Andy, Cam – I wouldn’t be here without Andy. What a guy he is off the field, so good, so nice, thank you very much, Andy.’

He had reason to sound so relieved. The opening set was a tale of bewildering undulations, with Draper breaking Ymer in the very first game and then immediately giving it back from 40-15, starting with a completely unnecessary decision to play a shot through his legs. He blew it.

If that killed his momentum and the mood in the crowd, the next half-time break at 5-3 brought silence to this beautiful bowl.

Draper’s problem was a combination of shifting focus and the sheer ruthlessness of an opponent who knew this was a rare opportunity to be the center of attention. Ymer held the set at love and had already made 14 winners and only four unforced errors.

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The questions at that stage were how Draper would respond. An answer came when Draper broke for 3-1 and by then his quality was coming through – a single drop shot at 0-15 brought the place to its feet. He produced the same response in the next game, dropping to 0-40 before climbing out of the hole with a series of big serves.

With the second set won, Draper began to express himself. Some of his winning strokes from that lefty forehand were fantastic as he took a 3-1 lead in the third set.

Unfortunately, the gremlins managed to work their way back – with another lapse of concentration, Ymer was able to break back for 3-3.

Similar vulnerabilities were on display when Draper, who had responded immediately, almost gave up again at 4-3. He held on to move one set clear of the second round, but the turbulence continued with every man broken at the start of the fourth.

Draper’s work was now starting to get testy – first the umpire was met with some grumbling and then his racket was smashed when Ymer broke for 5-4. The Swede closed with a forehand winner.

With a delay to close the roof, we headed for a decisive battle and further into Murray territory. Draper struck first, breaking to love for 3-1 after a Ymer double fault, and closing shortly afterwards with a backhand winner and a screamer.

Norrie had few such dramas. The 2022 semi-finalist, whose recent troubles have left him ranked 42nd, suffered a couple of breaks in the second set but enjoyed a quiet stroll to confront the man who had briefly overtaken him in the battle to fill a gap.