By Tony Fairbairn
- Dan Evans [8] def Radu Albot 6-7(3) 6-1 6-4
- Evans v Miomir Kecmanovic | H2H: Kecmanovic leads 1-0
TOKYO, JAPAN – Dan Evans ousted out Radu Albot in three sets to claim his first win of the Asian hard-court swing and now faces Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round in Tokyo.
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Dan Evans [8] def. Radu Albot 6-7(3) 6-1 6-4
Dan Evans edged out Radu Albot in three sets to earn a place in the second round in Tokyo. The Brit showed a high level play throughout the match and showed evidence of that in the early stages by dictating the tempo of rallies, forcing Albot into early errors. The eighth seed created five break points in his opening three return games as he showed why his returning has been one of the most consistent on tour.
However Albot produced some effortless power in the big moments to fend off Evans’ attack as the Moldovan played a much cleaner second half of the set. A mixture of power and precision saw Albot match Evans’ efficiency on serve as both players produced a high standard in the opening set.
There were three love holds in the second half of the set as the opening set would be decided by a tiebreak. It was a tiebreak which would be decided by one lapse of concentration from Evans as Albot continued his impressive serving as he didn’t drop a single point on his serve in the tiebreak. The Moldovan sealed the tiebreak 7-3 and claimed a one set lead.
An impressive opening set was followed by an error-prone second set as Albot couldn’t keep up his high-quality tennis in the second set. Evans continued to be consistent and dictate play from the baseline as he used the angles to keep Albot on the run. The Brit was more efficient and clinical in the second set as he sealed two consecutive breaks of serve for a 5-1 lead.
That was all Evans needed as he comfortably secured the second set and carried the momentum into the deciding set. After not converting break point in the third game, Evans took his chance in the fifth game as he won three consecutive points to break for a 3-2 lead.
Albot offered little resistance throughout the match on return and that continued in the final set as Evans’ efficiency and precision on serve was too much for the world number 86. Albot created his only break point opportunity while Evans served for the match but that was too little too late as the Brit prevented the break of serve and the Brit converted his fourth match point to seal his place in the second round.
Dan Evans [8] v Miomir Kecmanovic H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Dan Evans [8] v Miomir Kecmanovic | H2H: Kecmanovic leads 1-0 |
| ATP Tokyo 2022 | Tokyo, Japan |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $28,565 |
| Second on Colosseum Court (04:30 BST) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Evans will now face Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round with the Serbian winning their only previous meeting at Roland Garros last year.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
| H2H: | Dan Evans (WR 25) | Miomir Kecmanovic (WR 33) |
| Tournament Previous Best | QR1 (2016) | R1 (2019) |
| 1st Serve % | 61.5 | 62.8 |
| Service Games Won % | 76.7 | 80.7 |
| Break Points Saved % | 58 | 63.3 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 51.2 | 53.4 |
| Break Points Converted % | 41.9 | 39.4 |
Evans will be looking to use his break point conversion rate to his advantage against Kecmanovic’s efficient serving.
Playing Styles and Prediction
Since reaching the Indian Wells and Miami quarter-finals, Kecmanovic has enjoyed steady progress but would have liked to been in the latter stages of tournaments more frequently. Now the big-hitting Serbian will look to build momentum ahead of next season, which is set to be another big year for him.
Evans will look to use his confidence on return to dictate most of the match with Kecmanovic providing a sterner test from the baseline than Albot did. The Serbian will look to use his impressive athleticism mixed with effortless power to outpower the Brit’s defensive skillset. This will be a good test for the Brit with this match expected to go all the way, but Evans’ confidence should see him into his fifth ATP tour quarter-final of the season.
Prediction: Evans in three sets.
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