Jack Draper defeated Federico Agustin Gomez in the second round
Briton battled through pain to finally earn victory
Draper registered 6-4 7-5 6-7 (7-9) 6-2 win over the Argentine.
Jack Draper was put through his paces to secure a place in the US Open second round after overcoming qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez across four sets.
Draper, playing in his first match since early July after suffering an arm injury, battled through the pain here to earn a 6-4 7-5 6-7 (7-9) 6-2 win over the Argentine.
The fifth seed needed just one break of serve to take the opening set, and he appeared on course to cruise into the next round after taking the second soon after.
But Gomez responded emphatically, surging into a 3-0 lead in the third set and able to withstand Draper's late charge to win the tie-break and keep the match going.
However, Draper regained his composure in the fourth set and dispatched his opponent with relative ease as Gomez was unable to build on his momentum.
The Briton booked a meeting with Zizou Bergs in the next round with a blistering forehand down the right baseline, which drew applause from Gomez.
"I wasn't too sure if I was going to make it here," Draper said. "It wasn't my finest performance but credit to my opponent, he played some outstanding tennis.
"I'm not putting too much expectation on myself. I'm so happy to be able to compete."
Data Debrief: Draper gets up and running
Having recorded his best run at Flushing Meadows last year, Draper will be hopeful of another promising display here, despite tempering his expectations of lifting the title.
He will want an improved display in the second round, though, having struck just 36 winners to Gomez's 49, but he did win 81% (65/80) of his first-serve points compared to his opponents' 68% (52/77).
With the result, Draper has now registered his eighth win in men's singles grand slam events during 2025, the most wins in such events he has managed during a single season, eclipsing his previous best of seven in 2024.
