By Tony Fairbairn
- Dan Evans def Mariano Navone 6-4 6-3 6-3
- Evans v Alex De Minaur [10] | H2H: Evans leads 3-0
NEW YORK, USA – Dan Evans reached the third round of the US Open for a seventh consecutive year after defeating Mariano Navone in straight sets and will now face tenth seed Alex De Minaur.
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Dan Evans def Mariano Navone 6-4 6-3 6-3
Dan Evans is into the third round of the US Open for a seventh consecutive year after a straight sets win over Mariano Navone. After a five and a half hour opening round match which made US Open history, Evans had a much easier match this time around. The Brit came out the blocks flying as he looked energized and aimed for a quick start.
Unfortunately for Evans, Navone also made a quick start as the Argentinian was clinical and took his break point opportunities to open up a 3-0 lead. After not converting his break points in the opening game, the Brit was determined to not make that a habit in this match and Evans successfully changed that pattern as he broke in the fifth game after Navone double faulted.
The pressure Evans put on return was persistent as he used the forehand to open up space on the court with the backhand slice doing all the defensive work. Navone resisted the pressure at first but Evans continued to work hard from the baseline and in the ninth game the Brit intensified the pressure as he created five break points.
On his fifth break point, Evans hit a ridiculous forehand passing shot winner from way behind the baseline to seal the important break at 5-4. A long service game saw Evans hold to take the opening set in just over 50 minutes.
At the start of the second set Evans’ level dipped slightly which gave Navone an opportunity as the Argentinian broke for a 2-0 lead just like he did in the opening set. However this time Evans prevented going 3-0 down as he produced an immediate response with Navone’s second serves being punished on a consistent basis. That game seemed to be a turning point as Evans continued to raise his level as the set went on, not allowing Navone to play the match on his terms.
Despite some neat volleying skills from the Argentinian, Evans eventually got the break for a 4-3 lead which was followed by a roar to a passionate Court Five crowd. There was no stopping Evans as he claimed another lung-busting rally to break again and seal a two set lead after 1 hour and 50 minutes.
In the third set Evans continued to hammer return winners past Navone as he broke for a 2-0 lead before showing great character to come back from 0-30 to seal a 3-0 advantage. As expected though there would be a minor plot twist as Evans’ matches always have its complications with Navone taking advantage of some double faults from the Brit to break back in the fifth game.
That proved to be a very minimal setback though as Evans immediately broke back and cruised to his next two service games to seal victory and a place in the last 32.
Dan Evans v Alex De Minaur [10] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Dan Evans v Alex De Minaur [10] | H2H: Evans leads 3-0 |
| US Open 2024 | New York, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $215,000 |
| Third on Louis Armstrong Stadium (Midnight BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Evans will now face tenth seed Alex De Minaur for a place in the second week with Evans winning all three of their previous meetings.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Dan Evans (WR 184) | Alex De Minaur (WR 10) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R4 (2021) | Quarter-Final (2020) |
| 1st Serve % | 54.1 | 53.2 |
| Service Games Won % | 75.1 | 80.3 |
| Break Points Saved % | 61.7 | 59.6 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 49.9 | 56.9 |
| Break Points Converted % | 31.6 | 43.3 |
Evans will aim to continue his efficient serving as De Minaur will be aggressive and proactive on return with the Australian being one of the best returners on tour.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
De Minaur has had a sensational season and the Australian’s year keeps on getting better as he looks to reach the second week of the US Open. Based on seeding, De Minaur is now the favourite to reach the semi-finals and it will be interesting to see how he reacts to being favourite in this section of the draw as the matches will only get tougher as the tournament progresses.
Evans will use the slice to neutralize De Minuar’s forehand power as the Brit will look to continue being aggressive on the forehand side especially on return. Meanwhile De Minaur will continue to be clinical on return, taking advantage of any weak second serves from Evans. The Brit has won the previous three meeting but is taking on a much improved De Minaur and this is a match that will see Evans’ conditioning being tested to its limits.
Prediction: De Minaur in five sets.
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