British tennis round-up: Wins for Dan Evans, Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart but Cameron Norrie defeated in ATP return
By Conor Keenan
Published 15/10/2024 at 18:24 GMT+1
React to this story
Tuesday saw Dan Evans and Katie Boulter complete straight-sets victories in the Almaty Open and Ningbo Open, respectively, with Harriet Dart completing a comeback three-set victory to progress in the Japan Women's Open. Former British No. 1 Cameron Norrie was unsuccessful in his first tour appearance since July, though, after defeat in the opening round of the Stockholm Open.
Sinner sweeps aside Djokovic to lift Shanghai Masters
Video credit: TNT Sports
Qualifier Dan Evans progressed to the second round of the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan, defeating Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-2 7-6 on Tuesday. Â
Evans survived two double faults in his opening two service games before breaking Daniel’s serve in the fourth.
The Brit then got his serve firing, hitting aces at game point in both the fifth and seventh to take a commanding 5-2 lead in the opening set.
Evans won his second break point to secure the opening set five minutes later, winning all four points without response to take a 1-0 lead in 42 minutes.
More aces followed for Evans in his opening three service games of the next set, although the 34-year-old failed to capitalise on two break points in the sixth game.
Daniel would secure his first break of the match in the following game to take a 4-3 lead in the set, but Evans converted a vital break point to keep the set alive at 5-5.
Two Evans aces in the proceeding game left Daniel serving to keep the match alive, which the world No. 89 did successfully.
Another important ace in the early stages of the tiebreaker gave Evans an advantage that his opponent could not overcome, with the former British No. 1 clinching the decider to close out the second set.
He will face Cincinnati Open finalist and top seed Frances Tiafoe in round two.
- Sinner dismantles 'legend of our sport' Djokovic to seal Shanghai crown
- Six Kings Slam, then Paris? Turin? What next for Djokovic after Shanghai?
NORRIE LOSES IN MAIN TOUR COMEBACK
Former British No. 1 Cameron Norrie failed to win in his first main tour match since July in a 6-4 6-4 loss to Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round of the Stockholm Open.
Norrie has had an injury-hit year, withdrawing from the US Open in August after missing the Olympic Games.
Kecmanovic broke the world No. 52's serve in the third game of the opening set and would successfully hold serve to take a well-contested opening set.
Again, the Serbian struck early in the following set, breaking Norrie's serve in the opening game. The Englishman would fail to break back, eventually falling in straight sets.
Dart through to round of 16 in comeback win
Harriet Dart came from a set down to defeat Germany’s Laura Siegemund in a hard-fought 3-6 7-5 7-5 victory at the Japan Women's Open.
The world No. 81 could not keep up the momentum after breaking the German's serve in the opening game, losing her opening two service games to find herself 3-1 down in the opening set.
The deficit was too much to overcome as Siegemund closed out the set 7-5.
Dart again dropped a service game to fall behind 3-1 in the early stages of the second set. She crucially broke back in the sixth game, converting her first break point of the set before finding another in the final game to snatch a 7-5 victory and keep the match alive.
The 28-year-old would do the same in the third and final set. With the match tied at 5-5, Dart won her service game to take a 6-5 advantage and leave her opponent serving to stay in the match.
The London native completed the win with her second match point to book her place in the round of 16. She will face Denmark’s Clara Tauson on Wednesday morning.
- Nadal's farewell: When are the Davis Cup Finals? When will his last match be?
- 'Rafa would have liked another season' - Nadal's uncle Toni reveals retirement dilemma
boulter dominant in ningbo open win
Katie Boulter’s match against Italy’s Sara Errani was disrupted due to rain at the Ningbo Open in China during the opening set, but the world No. 35 went on to win in straight sets 6-3 6-2 and seal her place in the last 16.
After the weather halted proceedings with the opening set tied at 2-2, Boulter came out after the restart strongest to cruise to a 6-3 win.
The 28-year-old then flew out of the blocks in the second set, defending her serve in the opening game without dropping a point before breaking Errani’s serve in game two.
The Italian was broken again in the fourth game as Boulter stormed to a 4-0 lead.
The Brit put an exclamation on the victory by breaking for the third time in the eighth game to take the set 6-2. She will face world No. 10 Beatriz Haddad Maia in the next round.
---
Watch and stream top tennis action live on Eurosport and discovery+
Advertisement
Advertisement