HURTING Jack Draper admitted he cannot play on grass and this Wimbledon exit exposed “many holes” in his game.
And though he denied he buckled under the weight of a nation, he praised legendary Andy Murray for how he managed to win the Championship twice in front of home fans.
The British No1 admitted he struggles to play his best tennis on grass[/caption]
The No4 seed went down 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes.
Draper, 23, said: “I’m very frustrated. Obviously, really upset. Probably one of the toughest losses I feel.
“I thought Cilic played an incredible match from start to finish. Didn’t let up. He deserved the win. But it hurts a lot.
“It’s highlighted to me this year that I really struggled on the grass in all honesty.
“I felt great on the hard and clay. There weren’t many holes in my game – whereas as soon as I came onto the grass, I felt a big difference.
“It’s just something I’ve got to keep in mind, how I’m going to develop my game for the long-term for next year. Just to get better as a player.
“For sure, it highlighted a lot of weaknesses in my game.
“I mean it makes me think that Andy’s achievement of what he did, winning here twice, just unbelievable.
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“It’s not the pressure. I just didn’t play good enough. I lost to a better player.
“I just wasn’t able to find the level I wanted. I came up short.
“The hole in my forehand showed up. I wasn’t able to deal with his pace of ball into my forehand. I was over-spinning a lot.
“I’ve still got a lot of areas that I need to improve in my game.
“There’s a bit of a misconception, just because I’m a 6ft 4ins lefty, I must be incredible on grass. I haven’t had loads of experience on it.”
Former US Open champion and 2017 Wimbledon runner-up Cilic, 36, said: “The emotions are just incredible.
“Where I was two years ago, I cannot even describe. It’s been a long journey.
“I never lost any doubt. It was long and testing. It’s incredible to win this. Thanks to the crowd for great sportsmanship.”
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