Second Serve: Jack Draper’s clay progress after Madrid Open effort

This was illustrated during Draper’s semi-final against Lorenzo Musetti in Madrid.

The Briton seemed to be fading in the second set and battled to hang on to his serve – then found another gear in a tie-break to increase his intensity and secure victory.

Clay is seen as the most physically demanding surface because its slower speed leads to longer points and more brutal contests.

It’s not the most natural surface for Draper. He has worked hard on his movement and the ability to slide across the dirt.

Being more mobile means he can get in the right positions to execute his most potent weapons.

Draper’s serve – both in terms of power and variety – allows him to start points strongly, but it was his forehand that really caught the eye in Madrid.

The topspin and speed wowed fans at the Caja Magica, even drawing a few comparisons to Rafael Nadal – the recently retired ‘King of Clay’ who won a record 14 French Open titles.

Nobody is suggested Draper will have that level of success, of course, but like Nadal he has been using the pace and bounce of his forehand to trouble opponents.

“My forehand’s come into own on all surfaces but this year on the clay it’s really doing a lot of damage,” said Draper.

“I’m trying to base my game around that and my serve, and getting more and more efficient.”

In Madrid, Draper also found the right blend between defence and attack, while using the drop shot at the right time was also an effective tool.

Despite all the positive signs, it is telling that Draper – like all great players who harbour ambitions of winning Grand Slam titles – has an insatiable appetite for further improvement.

In his post-final news conference in Madrid, he highlighted his serve, net play and physicality as the areas he needed to particularly work on.

“I’m nowhere near where I want to be,” Draper said.

“There are plenty of things that are going to keep on improving and I’m going to keep on getting better and better. I believe that.”