Britain’s Dan Evans gained his second ATP Tour title by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-5 6-3 in a rain-interrupted DC Open closing.
Evans saved 4 break factors within the final recreation earlier than ending the match with a service winner. At 33, he’s the oldest champion in Washington since Jimmy Connors was 35 when he gained in 1988.
Evans arrived in Washington with an 8-18 file this season earlier than going 5-0 on this event.
“I had to keep telling myself it was match-by-match and not so long ago I wasn’t playing great,” he stated.
“It was a good effort mentally to just stay in the present and keep fighting for each point. And I did a great job of that this week.”
Action was suspended on Sunday at 2-all within the second set as a result of a thunderstorm. After play resumed in entrance of only a smattering of spectators, Evans wanted round 25 minutes to wrap up his first championship at a 500-level event, earlier than extra rain returned.
“Any title is special. It’s obviously the biggest of my career,” Evans stated. “I played some very good tennis this week and super happy to come out on top.”
Evans was seeded No. 9 within the hard-court tune-up for the US Open and can transfer from No.30 to a career-high twenty first within the rankings on Monday.
His solely different tour title got here in Melbourne, Australia, in 2021.
Evans eradicated No.2 seed Frances Tiafoe within the quarter-finals. No.12 seed Griekspoor, a 27-year-old from the Netherlands, defeated top-seeded Taylor Fritz within the semis.
“Good week,” Griekspoor stated, “but not good enough today.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
