Britain’s Dan Evans lost 7-6 (12-10) 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 to top seed Frances Tiafoe in an entertaining second-round match at the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan.
Evans, who reached the third round of the US Open, has largely struggled in 2024 but looked like he was going to stun Tiafoe.
However, he could not claim the tight second set and was unable to regain his composure against American Tiafoe, who will face Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic in the last eight of the tournament on Friday, live on Sky Sports Tennis.
“He played very well. I started coming to the net more and took more risk,” said Tiafoe.
“Dan, he’s not 180 (ranked) in the world, he’s very tough. I knew it would be a battle, just happy to come through.”
Neither player was able to create a break-point chance in the first set, but Tiafoe got the first two set-point opportunities in the tie-break.
Evans saved both, though, and the Briton snatched the set at the fourth time of asking with a stunning backhand passing shot down the line.
The second set was a similar story, except both players failed to take break-point chances before another tie-break was required.
Tiafoe, who was playing his first match since an extraordinary expletive-laden rant at a chair umpire last weekwon the tie-break and Evans never recovered after that, the American gaining the upper hand following an early break in the deciding set.
Boulter loses in Ningbo
On the WTA Tour, British No 1 Katie Boulter was knocked out in straight sets in the round of 16 at the Ningbo Open by sixth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Boulter had won all her previous three matches against the Brazilian, although one came through an early retirement, but was edged out 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 in China.
The pair were neck and neck through the first set, with neither facing a break point, but Haddad Maia dominated the tie-break and then broke serve to start the second set.
Boulter hit back to make it 2-2 as she looked the most likely to forge ahead, only for Haddad Maia to save three more break points.
Then, Boulter then paid for two double faults in the 11th game and Haddad Maia served out the match to set up a quarter-final against Paula Badosa, live on Sky Sports Tennis on Friday morning.
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis this month?
- Almaty Open, Kazakhstan – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- Stockholm Open, Sweden – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- European Open, Antwerp – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- Japan Open, Osaka – WTA 250 (October 14-20)
- Ningbo Open, China – WTA 500 (October 14-20)
- Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Swiss Indoors, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Guangzhou Open, China – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
- Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)
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