By Tony Fairbairn
- Dan Evans [25] def Facundo Bagnis 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-4
- Evans v Jeremy Chardy [PR] | H2H: Evans leads 3-1
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Dan Evans defeated Facundo Bagnis in four sets to set up a second round match with Jeremy Chardy at the Australian Open.
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Dan Evans def Facundo Bagnis 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-4
Dan Evans is into the second round of the Australian Open after a four set victory over Facundo Bagnis. The match didn’t go Evans’ way for the whole contest as he went down an early break as the Argentinian took the match to him in the early stages. Some costly unforced errors and lack of first serves saw Bagnis and break to take a vital 2-0 lead.
However Evans responded well as he would break back straight away and would follow that up with a second break of serve with a block return that just landed inside the baseline. Both players survived tough service games in the middle of the set as the heat began to rise both literally and figuratively as Evans kept his cool to convert his first set point and take the opening set 6-4.
Despite losing the first set, Bagnis continued to be a constant threat throughout the match and that was the case in the opening few games as he was nailing forehand winners from the baseline. The 25th seed didn’t do enough to neutralise the rallies as the Argentinian took a 3-0 lead and control of the second set.
After another slow start, Evans once again came back into the set as he covered the baseline well and a ridiculous forehand passing shot saw the Brit break back in the seventh game. However Bagnis was the better player in the second set overall and the Argentinian would earn his reward eventually as a missed volley from Evans saw him break for the second set as he levelled the match at one set all.
A much better start occurred for Evans in the third set as he started to play confidently from the baseline as he created space in the court to hit winners into. Despite there being no break points created in the opening six games, Evans was always the more dangerous player as he only lost five points on serve in the entire set.
The Brit’s serving dominance translated into a break of serve in the seventh game as a return winner sealed the break for a 4-3 lead. There was a good response from Bagnis who managed to continue to hold serve but Evans proved too strong on serve as he closed out the set to love for a two set to one lead. Then play was halted for a few hours as the Melbourne heat was too severe to play tennis for a while.
When play resumed, Evans started where he left off as he dominated both on serve and return. After failing to convert two break points in the third game, Evans finally found the breakthrough in the seventh game with a string of aggressive groundstrokes in the seventh game. A forehand winner secured the victory as he converted his third match point and sealed a place in the second round.
Dan Evans [25] v Jeremy Chardy [PR] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Dan Evans [25] v Jeremy Chardy [PR] | H2H: Evans leads 3-1 |
| Australian Open 2023 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $158,850 |
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Next for Evans is Frenchman Jeremy Chardy who marked his return to the tour with a four set win over Daniel Elahi Galan.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Last 12 months)
| H2H: | Dan Evans (WR 30) | Jeremy Chardy (Unranked) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R4 (2017) | Quarter-Final (2013) |
| 1st Serve % | 62.1 | 61.1 |
| Service Games Won % | 78 | 72.2 |
| Break Points Saved % | 59 | 80.8 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 50.8 | 55.1 |
| Break Points Converted % | 43.2 | 41.2 |
Evans will need to be aware of Chardy’s clutch serving on break points as the Brit will look to dictate the tempo of the match on return.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
Chardy has only just returned to the tour having encountered some health problems over the last year. The Frenchman though is a dangerous player with a big serve and forehand which has troubled many of the top players at Grand Slams before and will look to do the same here.
Evans will look to use the slice to neutralise Chardy’s Power as he looks to set up efficient winners from the baseline. Meanwhile Chardy will look to dictate play from his serve and introduce his forehand as early as possible during the rally. This will be a tough match for Evans but his fitness levels and confidence on return should get him over the finishing line.
Prediction: Evans in four sets.
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