Jack Draper Loses First Match at Cincinnati Open
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British tennis star Jack Draper has lost his opening match at the Cincinnati Open, one of the biggest tournaments before the US Open.
Draper, a former world number 4, was beaten by Martin Landaluce 6-3, 7-5 in the first round.
The defeat shows how much Draper is struggling during the most difficult period of his career so far.
He is still recovering from a long-term arm injury, which has affected his form and results.
Draper has admitted that he currently has very little confidence and self-belief on court.
According to reports, this lack of confidence was clear from the very start of the match against Landaluce.
The loss will be a big disappointment for Draper, who has been one of Britain's top players in recent years.
He will now need time to rebuild his fitness and form before the next major tournaments.
Fans and experts will be watching closely to see how he performs once his arm has fully healed.
Vocabulary10 words
- Cincinnati Open
- a major tennis tournament held in the United States
- first round
- the very first match of a tournament
- difficult period
- a hard and challenging time
- arm injury
- damage or pain in the arm that stops normal movement
- confidence
- a feeling of being sure you can succeed
- self-belief
- trust in your own ability
- form
- how well a player is currently performing
- career
- the whole time someone works in their profession
- recovering
- getting better after an illness or injury
- fitness
- physical strength and health for sport
Quiz
Answer key
1. Cincinnati Open 2. A long-term arm injury 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
British tennis star Jack Draper has lost his opening match at the Cincinnati _____, one of the biggest tournaments before the US Open.
Draper, a former world number 4, was beaten by Martin Landaluce 6-3, 7-5 in the first _____.
The defeat shows how much Draper is struggling during the most difficult _____ of his career so far.
He is still recovering from a long-term arm _____, which has affected his form and results.
Draper has admitted that he currently has very little _____ and self-belief on court.
According to reports, this lack of confidence was clear from the very start of the match against _____.
The loss will be a big disappointment for Draper, who has been one of Britain's top players in recent _____.
He will now need time to rebuild his fitness and form before the next major _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think injuries can affect a player's confidence so much?
- How important is confidence for success in sport, in your opinion?
- What advice would you give to an athlete recovering from a long injury?
- Do you think it is fair for fans to expect quick recovery from injured players? Why or why not?
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