In a rain-interrupted Championship match, Dan Evans, the British #2 claimed his maiden ATP 500 title at Citi DC Open in Washington after defeating Tallon Griekspoor. The British 12th seed clinched his second tour-level title 7-5, 6-3.
The Brit is now 2-2 in tour level finals and the victorious run at the Mubadala Citi DC Open has lifted him nine places to #21. He is the first British man to make the Citi Open final appearance since Andy Murray in 2006 and the first to secure the title since Tim Henman in 2003.
Evans went into the ATP 500 Washington event with the 6-match losing streak to win 10 sets in a row on American hard courts. His only dropped set in the tourney came in the opening round against Gregoire Barrere but was unstoppable after that as he knocked out local favorite and 2nd seed Frances Tiafoe and 5th Seed and Old Baby Federer Grigor Dimitrov in quarter and semifinal ties respectively.
“I wasn’t playing very well and I wasn’t happy with my game. To do the work I’ve done and to stick with it and come through is [amazing],” said Evans. “The last game sort of summed up my week. I got out of trouble and it was an amazing week. I really appreciate all the support.”
Remaining solid on the serve throughout the first, the 33-year converted the fourth break point of the opening set to close it 7-5 however, the rain delay meddled with his momentum at 2-2 in second frame to stop the match for 90 minutes. He was fueled by the late surge in the second set but the opportunity came with a challenge. Evans sealed the deal in game 8 after breaking Dutchman to love and then serving out the match with four break points down; he saved all four for the trophy.
Upon returning to the court after the rain delay, the Brit despite Griekspoor’s best efforts fought off his big serving and fierce forehands while registering 26 winners to only 8 unforced errors and dominating the net game by taking 16 of 17 net points to close the straight set battle in 1 hour and 41 minutes.
Griekspoor, now ATP #26 rank, was bidding to become the 4th player to win a third-level title in 2023 after taking out 16th Seed JJ Wolf and top seed Taylor Fritz but couldn’t cross the finish line to accompany the league of Alcaraz (6 titles), Medvedev (5 titles) and Djokovic (3 titles). He made third final appearance of the season.
Evan Ending the Losing Streak
Bouncing back from a R1 loss at Queen’s, Evans turned around a difficult season in style by breaking the 6-match losing streak that included losses in Barcelona (semifinal), Madrid (R2), Roma (R2), Roland Garros (R1), Queen’s (R1), Wimbledon (R1) and Atlanta Open (R2).
The 33-year old patiently bided his time to clinch the second tour-level title after claiming the ATP 250 Murray River Open in February 2021 after dropping just one set in the whole tournament is some statement before heading to the New York Major.
Reflecting back on the past struggles and change in his fortunes, here is what Evans said:
“Last week I lost [against Dominik Koepfer in Atlanta], having three match points, served for the match. You try not to let emotions get in the way when you’re in the tournament. I was confident after the second round that I was playing well but I had to keep telling myself it was match by match and not so long ago I wasn’t playing great.”
“It was really only the grass I didn’t play well. I played well in Barcelona on the clay and then I had some rough matches which I didn’t get the best out of. I lost in three [sets] a few times or in tight matches. Then I was playing well and I just couldn’t get over the line. That’s where you lean on your team to keep you working hard and training and practising hard,” he continued.
“It’s especially good to get the outcome I got this week. But I said to myself once I got into the semis that that was a good effort and then I sort of reset and wanted to win the tournament.”
Evans is just four points short of breaking into the ATP #20 which would be his career high ranking but this will require an even solid display of tennis at Montreal Open/Toronto Masters 1000 where he reached the semis last year.
The Brit faces the Canadian wildcard Gabriel Diallo in the R1 of the National Bank Open in Toronto.