by 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, struggled mightily in 2024 but looked set to stun Tiafoe.
However, he was unable to win the close second set and was unable to regain his composure against American Tiafoe, who will face Australian Aleksandar Vukic in the semi-finals of the tournament on Friday, live on Sky Sports Tennis.
“He played very well. I went to the net more and took more risks,” Tiafoe said.
“Dan, he’s not 180 [ranked] In the world he is very tough. I knew it was going to be a fight, I’m just glad I got through it.”
Neither player was able to earn a break point chance in the first set, but Tiafoe had the first two set point chances in the tiebreak.
Evans saved both, however, and the Brit took the set in the fourth round with an impressive backhand pass down the line.
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Tiafoe launched into a foul-mouthed tirade against referee Jimmy Pinoargote after losing in three sets to Roman Safiullin at the Shanghai Masters
In the second set, the story was similar, except that both players failed to capitalize on break opportunities before another tiebreak was required.
Tiafoe, playing his first match since an extraordinary tirade in front of a referee last week, won the tiebreak and Evans never recovered after that as the American took the upper hand after an early break in the deciding set.
Boulter loses in Ningbo
On the WTA Tour, British number 1 Katie Boulter lost in straight sets to number six seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the round of 16 of the Ningbo Open.
Boulter had won all of her previous three games against the Brazilian, although one was eliminated early, losing 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 in China.
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Katie Boulter falls short of Beatriz Haddad Maia as the pair exchanged an excellent point at the Ningbo Open
The pair went neck-and-neck in the first set and neither faced a break point, but Haddad Maia dominated the tiebreak and then broke serve to start the second set.
Boulter hit back to make it 2-2 as she looked most likely to take the lead, but Haddad Maia saved three more break points.
Then Boulter paid for two double faults in the 11th game and Haddad Maia served out enough to set up a quarter-final against Paula Badosa, live on Sky Sports Tennis on Friday morning.
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Highlights of Boulter vs Haddad Maia from the Ningbo Open
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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