Jack Draper loses to Arthur Rinderkneich in the Dubai Tennis Championships

In his opening match, Draper had enough quality to get the better of Hales. He didn’t have enough sharpness against Rinderknech.

Draper was once again wearing a compression sleeve on his injured left arm, although a series of successful shots from his dominant side – including an eye-catching 100mph forehand that went past Rinderknish – showed he was not afraid to hold back.

The Briton has also switched to serving from the platform, meaning he stands with his feet a little wider to allow for a smoother weight transfer, in a bid to relieve pressure on his pesky bruised humerus.

This shows how Draper knows he needs to continue managing the problem.

Draper will be happy with the way he pushed the modified Rinderknech to the end, although he was unable to create chances on his opponent’s strong serving game.

The Rinderknech’s versatility and accuracy were difficult to handle on the fast surface. But Draper’s lack of court time recently has also shown some rusty returns as the game reaches its critical stage.

Once the frustration that inevitably follows any defeat subsides, Draper will reflect positively on the strides he made in Dubai – assuming he recovers without any major problems.

He then heads to Indian Wells – to defend the biggest title of his career – with valuable time in the bank and the first step back likely to require patience.