Draper denied place in Eastbourne final by Humbert

Draper denied place in Eastbourne final by HumbertFigure caption, Draper beaten by Humbert in Eastbourne semi-finals – best shotsByHarry PooleBBC Sport journalistPublished21 minutes agoJack Draper missed out on a place in the Eastbourne final as Ugo Humbert ended the Briton’s encouraging return to competition following injury.Draper, 24, had earned three consecutive straight-set wins to reach the semi-finals at his first tournament in more than two months, after he sustained a knee injury at the Barcelona Open in April.The former world number four gained more valuable time on court before turning his attention to Wimbledon, but he lost 7-5 6-3 after 100 minutes in sapping conditions against the 30th-ranked Humbert.Draper, who has fallen to 160th in the world amid his injury struggles, learned on Friday that he will meet American sixth seed Taylor Fritz in a tough opening assignment at Wimbledon, which begins on Monday.He and his coaching team, which now includes two-time Wimbledon champion Sir Andy Murray, will be pleased with the progress he has shown this week as he seeks a gradual return to his former level.In the 18 months prior to his challenging year dealing with injuries to arm, knee and shoulder, Draper reached the US Open semi-finals and won his first ATP 1000 title at Indian Wells.Speaking about Draper after his victory, Humbert reported: “It’s nice to see Jack back on the court. He was really impressive and I think I was a bit lucky in the second set.”The Frenchman, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, added: “It was the best gift I could have today. Tonight I will recover and be ready for tomorrow, so no big party.”Williams given favourable Wimbledon start – who else plays who?