By Tony Fairbairn
- Dan Evans def Tommy Paul 1-6 6-3 6-4
- Evans v Pablo Carreno Busta | H2H: First Meeting
MONTREAL, CANADA – It was a mixed night for Brits as Dan Evans overcame Tommy Paul in a thrilling three set contest to reach the semi-finals in Montreal and will now play Pablo Carreno Busta, who defeated Jack Draper.
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Dan Evans def Tommy Paul 1-6 6-3 6-4
Dan Evans is into his second career Masters 1000 semi-final after a thrilling victory over Tommy Paul. Both players set a blistering pace in the early stages of the match with Paul producing the type of tennis that saw him produce a sensational comeback against Carlos Alcaraz.
A mix of aggression and defensive solidity saw Evans have no real answers to the American’s ridiculous shot-making. As for the Brit he didn’t play that badly but found himself in a spot of bother when Paul grinded out two long breaks of serve for a 5-1 lead. The world number 34 closed out the first set to 15 as he cruised to the opening set in 39 minutes with Evans having a lot of work to do.
Paul continued his ridiculous level of play in the second time but Evans remained calm and composed in his approach as he found the right level of aggression to fend off break point opportunities. As both players produced a great level on their serve, the Brit managed to find a consistent level and expose Paul’s unforced errors towards the end of the second set.
Evans found a good level of depth and angles as he converted his second break point opportunity to take a 4-2 lead in the second set. To Paul’s credit he continued to make life difficult for Evans, producing a high standard of shot-making from the baseline. In the end Evans’ attacking tennis was rewarded as he closed out the set to 30 to level the match at one set all.
The final set was a real treat for the Montreal crowd as both players brought their athletic best to the court with some mouth-watering rallies being produced. It was Evans who would get the only break of the match in the third game and would push to seal the victory on return. However Paul’s athletic shot-making and court awareness saw him extend the match as Evans had no choice but to applaud the brilliance of the American.
However the Brit sealed victory on his second match points as he reaches a second Masters 1000 semi-final and continues his good run of form.
Dan Evans v Pablo Carreno Busta H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Dan Evans v Pablo Carreno Busta | H2H: First Meeting |
| ATP Montreal | Montreal, Canada |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $273,320 |
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Evans will now face Pablo Carreno Busta in the last four after the Spaniard defeated Jack Draper 7-6(4) 6-1 in a tough straight sets victory.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
| H2H: | Dan Evans (WR 39) | Pablo Carreno Busta (WR 23) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R2 (2019) | R2 (2017, 2018) |
| 1st Serve % | 61.3 | 67.2 |
| Service Games Won % | 74.7 | 81.5 |
| Break Points Saved % | 56.5 | 60.7 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 51.4 | 51.7 |
| Break Points Converted % | 42.7 | 37.1 |
Carreno Busta has looked more effective in general but Evans’ clinical break point efficiency will be crucial in this match.
Playing Styles and Prediction
Carreno Busta continued his aggressive tennis against Draper and is yet to drop a set this week in Montreal. After some struggles this season, the Spaniard has finally found his groove again and is looking to continue his impressive form this week and capture a maiden Masters 1000 title.
Evans will look to continue his confidence on return and using different angles on the court will be the key to this match as he looks to use his slice to open up the court more effectively. Carreno Busta will look to continue to be aggressive when in defensive positions and use the depth of his shots to force errors from his opponents. This will be a very tight match, the Spaniard’s energy and short matches this week gives him the slight edge but it should be a great contest between two in-form players.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in three sets.
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