Dan Evans maintains winning run after beating Frances Tiafoe at the European Open

 

British tennis player Dan Evans has won two consecutive games after overcoming the challenge of American player Frances Tiafoe at the European Open in Antwerp.

Since the resumption of the ATP Tours after the coronavirus break in August, Evans has been able to string wins together for the first time. This feat now stretches back six tournaments to when he featured in the Dubai semi-finals in February.

Evans, the British number one player, has now won consecutive matches on the ATP Tour for the first time since February. The win has got him the European Open quarter-finals ticket.

The number 35 player in the world defeated the American 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 in Antwerp to set up a meeting with Russian third seed Karen Khachanov or Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the last eight.

In his last game, the 30-year-old ended a five-match losing run with a three-set win over Italian qualifier Salvatore Caruso in the European Open’s opening round.

Evans lost in the first round of the three clay-court tournaments he featured in. He last defeated was against Stan Wawrinka in St Petersburg last week.

His last victory was on 1 September at the US Open before defeating the Italian 6-2 3-6 6-3.

Having defeated Taifoe, who is world number 63, in the second round, it is expected to be a confidence booster for the 30-year-old.

Another British player, Cameron Norrie, got the second round ticket with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) win over another qualifier, Emil Ruusuvuori, to meet with fifth-seed Milos Raonic or former British player Aljaz Bedene.

Being a winner of Antwerp’s title in the past two years, he could make it number three. Other British players that have lifted the title include Kyle Edmund in 2018 and Andy Murray last year.

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old is on the lookout for a new coach next year after his successful partnership with Mark Hilton is about to end. It was gathered that this was by mutual agreement.

Hilton will be returning to work full-time for the Lawn Tennis Association at the end of the season.

The British number one under the coach in the past 12 months, reached a career-high ranking of 28th.

 

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed