Jack Draper revealed he was suffering with tonsillitis after making an angry exit from Queen’s Club.
The British number one smashed his racket, damaging a digital advertising hoarding and grazing his knee, as his semi-final against Jiri Lehecka slipped away from him.
Draper explained he was low on energy due to the illness and was getting angry in a bid to gee himself up.
But when world number 30 Lehecka fizzed a backhand past him to break for 6-5 in the deciding set, the 23-year-old exploded with rage.
“It was bit of everything, really,” he said. “The way I was sort of playing at times. Obviously the fact that I’ve worked so hard to get myself in that position. I really tried to get myself up, get the energy going.
“When you see that ball go past you on that point, you know, it’s very tough to see yourself breaking in the next game, although I tried my best on that.
“I don’t condone that behaviour, but at the same time, that’s kind of where I was at today.
“I was trying to use everything I could. I tried to compete every ball. But in the end, anger just spilled over a little bit too much.”
Draper had sounded under the weather earlier in the week and discovered he had tonsillitis on Friday.
“I haven’t felt good all week,” he added. “I’m proud of the way I went about things, considering, but it’s tough, because you’re in a position where you’re in a professional sport.
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“You’re an entertainer, an athlete, and you have no choice. No one cares, you know. So you’ve just got to go out there and do the best you can. I’m proud of that. I gave myself a chance.
“Today’s probably the worst I’ve felt. Did I think about withdrawing? No, not at all. I’m in the semi-finals at Queen’s. I’d probably go on court with a broken leg. I wouldn’t have pulled out for anything.
“So I went out there, gave all I had, and I can be very proud of that. And also, it’s not an excuse. It’s just the way I feel.
“I lost today because I lost to a better tennis player. He was better than me in the key moments. He served better. I think he was a bit braver at times.”
It has still been a successful week for Draper, who will now take a few days off to recover in time for Wimbledon, where he will be seeded fourth thanks to his run in west London.
Draper dug deep impressively to level the match after dropping the first set, but Lehecka, regularly firing down serves touching 140mph, was stronger down the finishing straight.
The 23-year-old became the first Czech to reach the final at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl in 1990 after a 6-4 4-6 7-5 victory.
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