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The world No.5 cleaned up the opening set in just 24 minutes after breaking Darderi's serve three times, and while the second set was somewhat tighter, Draper's victory never looked in doubt, continue the form that saw him finish as runner-up at the Madrid Open.

“I think I came out really well,” Draper said after the match.

“Mentally I knew it was going to be a little bit difficult and I’m glad about how I played in certain moments.

"I think I needed a match here to feel like I was strong again and I just think it was a really good mental performance today.”

After clinching his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in March at Indian Wells, Draper became the first player to reach multiple finals at that level in 2025 with a his final appearance last week in Madrid, where he wa upset by Casper Ruud.

“I knew it was going to be tough, especially after the past fortnight,” Draper said.

“I put a lot of energy into that [Madrid Open], so coming here to different conditions, a different environment, I had to adapt quickly against a good player in a different atmosphere.

"I thought I did a great job today of handling that, and hopefully as the rounds progress, I can keep on getting better.”