“I wanted to play a bit longer in all honesty,” was the verdict from Jack Draper after booking his place in the second round at Wimbledon.
That the British number one needed just 74 minutes to do so is no bad thing, though, body and mind kept fresh for sterner tests to come.
Draper was 6-2 6-2 2-1 up against Sebastian Baez on No1 Court and sprinting towards the finish line when his injured opponent came over to shake hands and bring a premature end to proceedings.
The Argentine had twice had the physios on court, seemingly having his right knee stretched out having suffered an awkward slip behind the baseline earlier in the match.
An injured opponent or not, this was a confident start to Draper’s Wimbledon campaign, his first as a genuine title contender and with all the expectation and distractions that come with that.
The 23-year-old has now already matched his best Wimbledon run, and it would be a big shock if 2017 finalist Marin Cilic ensured that remained the case beyond Thursday.
Asked about the pressure on him on home soil, Draper said: "I don't think about it until people mention it every five minutes!
“I just think about what I can control and play the best tennis I can. You can't think about any of that. I'm really looking forward to this next week or so, it's going to be great.”
Draper has been handed an incredibly difficult path through to the latter stages of the championships, but that eased somewhat after Alexander Bublik, who had been projected to face the Briton in the third round, fell to a shock five-set defeat to Jaume Munar earlier in the day.
However, Draper warned: "I have to face whoever is in front of me, I can't be thinking about five matches ahead. I focus on whoever is up next. Everyone who is in this draw is in on their own merit, they can all play incredible tennis. Until I earn my place in the next round, I'm not there yet."
Draper elected to receive after winning the toss and made the ideal start, breaking in the opening game. The Briton drew gasps every time he threw himself into a big forehand, though with mixed results in the early stages as several flew long.
There was no such inconsistency on serve, Draper imperious and dropping only six points out of 42 behind his own delivery in the match. That meant a double break at 4-1 felt effectively like job done in the first set and so it proved, Draper serving his way to it inside half an hour.
Baez was left in a heap early in the second set after a nasty fall, and a flat forehand winner from Draper then brought a break point which he converted.
The Argentine spoke to the trainers for five minutes as he trailed 2-1 at the change of ends, but did not go off for treatment and was able to continue.
Draper held to love and then secured another break, running down a drop shot and flicking a stunning crosscourt winner, one that was met with a huge roar from the crowd.
Baez was little more than a spectator in the Draper service games and had near enough a watching brief in the remainder of the set, the Briton comfortable enough to thunder down a huge second serve to take a two-set lead.
Draper broke to love early in the third and that proved enough for Baez, who trudged over to shake hands. Draper wanted more, but that can be saved for another day.
