Weeks 35 & 36 - US Open

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Weeks 35 & 36 - US Open

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Dan with 2 breaks while I was away, losing 5 points in 4 games, stats suggest Z contributed several dfs. Now *4-3

Starts with a df 0-15. Unret 15-15. Z b ue into net 30-15. Super f winner from Evans 40-15. Missed last point 5-3*

Z up 40-0 before Dan recovers to 40-40 with a mix of super forehands and Z errors, then E nets an aggressive f after a rally and Z holds *5-4

Dan gets to 40-0 before losing the next 4 including a straight forward forehand that should have been a winner on his 2nd set point, other set points missed were a difficult half-volley after a good b return from Z and an E f ue net after a 2nd serve. Dan saves 2 bps, one with a unret 1st and agg f soon after the serve was the other. Anyway, Z didn't really have a chance on either. Had to deal with my tea so I missed the next bit but the scoreboard tells me Evans ends up taking the set 6-4

-- Edited by kundalini on Friday 2nd of September 2016 05:56:55 AM

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Dan requesting the debris of Zverev's smashed raquet be cleaned off the court before he serves !!

Topemp · Strong Club Player

Yes!! Dan goes from 40-0 to Ad Z; then saves 2 bps, before taking the 2nd set on 4th set point! 6-4 6-4. Keep up the great commentary please!

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Dan takes the second set though Zverev protesting the call. I have to try to sleep now as up early for work.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Code for anyone unwise enough to try to read my point by point:

E = Daniel Evans, Z= Alexander Zverev, f= forehand, b = backhand, v = volley, unret = unreturned serve, agg = an aggressive shot that forces an error or a weak response, ue = unforced error, d = drop shot, cc = cross court, dtl = down the line, 1st = first serve, 2nd = second serve, bp = break point

----

Z easy hold *0-1

E recovers to 40-30 then puts a b dtl an inch wide for 40-40. Z with a huge b pass winner for 40-A. Dan saves bp through aggressive hitting and takes the next two points in similar fashion as Z nets 1-1

Z's outfit would be described as poor even at a 70s beach party. Pink shorts. Pink headband. Yellow and pink bits on his white shirt. Pink shoes. Regardless, he holds to love. Crowd scream whenever Z unleashes a huge winner *1-2

Some applause for a sensational b dtl winner from Evo for 30-0. Z f winner makes it 30-30. Rally Dan's f is just long 30-40. Crowd erupts as Z fires a forehand pass winner down the line to break 1-3*

Z with a couple of unrets as he holds to 30 for *1-4

Dan starts with a wide serve + aggressive f combination. Z careless slice b ue long 30-0, Z can't handle pace of E's topspin b 40-0 Too busy typing so missed last point 2-4*

Z with a well constructed point finishing with easy v winner 15-0. A wild Z df makes little difference as he holds to 15 *2-5

Dan with a f ue and a df make it 15-40. He saves the first with good play. Evo shot called out then corrected by linesperson. Z unimpressed. Dan with a b dtl winner. Z aggressive return for 40-A then unret 40-40. Rally Evo drop shot not clever choice as Z easy winner. Z unhappy with another call, this time a serve 40-40. Dan agg f after serve A- Repeat of last point 3-5*

Ridiculous rally ends with sublime E drop shot winner. Z agg f dtl 15-15. df 15-30. E b pass winner, must have just landed in 15-40 Dan with a fierce f pass that Z can't handle for the break *4-5

Clever play from Z finishes with a volley winner 0-15. Dan at the net but goes long 0-30 2nd unret 15-30 2nd huge f winner from Z 15-40. Two unret 1st saves both bps 40-40 Dan at the net to v winner A- another unret 1st 5-5*

Z v winner 15-0 Z nice f lob winner 30-0 unret 40-0 Z wild f ue long 40-15 similar but not quite as bad 40-30. E agg f 40-40 ace A- Z b ue long 40-40 Z reacts well to E's netcord b dtl A- E f cc just wide *5-6

E well constructed point though Z just wide with pass after E d 15-0 E agg play. Z complaining about something 30-0 E f dtl is wide 30-15 Some of the hitting is simply brutal. Z deep b 30-30 another corrected call. Z is losing it. E appeared to have wrong-footed Z but Z stuck out his arm and got it back deep only to be called out then corrected. If no call then Z would have had a slight advantage in the rally as E had to retreat. E f ue long 30-40 df 5-7

--

Plenty of high quality tennis in that set. Tons of super shots mixed in with a few careless errors. On balance, Z a deserved winner of the set though E did well to get back to 5-5 and looked well positioned at 5-5 40-40.

-- Edited by kundalini on Friday 2nd of September 2016 05:59:56 AM

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Dan starts the 4th set with a shocking f pass ue wide 15-0 E gets back to 30-30 Poor E f ue net 40-30 Lovely E d winner 40-40 E with chance to pass but puts it wide A- E agg f dtl 40-40 df 40-A Z huge f dtl winner after serve 40-40 unret A- E f long *0-1

E f just wide 0-15 Z with 2 chances to pass but E v winner 15-15 2nd unret 30-15 Z agg b cc 30-30 E super f dtl winner 40-30 2nd unret 1-1*

E poor f ue net 15-0 rally E f ue long 30-0 Applause for an E f dtl winner 30-15 1st unret 40-15 wow E b dtl 40-30 E agg f then finishes with a smash winner 40-40 rally E attacks but Z with b pass winner cc A- Missed it 40-40 E weak unret A- Z poor ue 40-40 Super point E fierce f pass then f pass winner 40-A Z agg f after serve 40-40 1st unret A- Z misses easy f dtl 40-40 long rally Z b ue long 40-A Z agg b dtl after serve 40-40 E fierce f ret lands deep causing Z to go wide 40-A E drifts a pass dtl for a winner to break, didn't see if it was f or b *2-1

E unret 15-0 E f ue long 15-15 Z deep behind baseline nets a b 30-15 Z slice b ue net 40-15 E slice d causes Z to go long 3-1*

Z f ue long 0-15 E f ue wide 15-15 ace 30-15 Z agg b cc 40-15 Z huge b cc winner *3-2

Mark Hilton nods his head and says something. E v winner 15-0 E f ue long 15-15 Not watching 30-15 E defends but eventually sends b dtl long 30-30 Think unret 40-30 Careless E f ue long 40-40 Z wrong-footed, on the floor as E f goes past A- df 40-40 E lucky netcord v winner A- E super f pass that sets up another f pass that Z can't cope with 4-2*

E f dtl winner 0-15 E chance to hit f pass but clips net and goes wide 15-15 sublime E d winner 15-30 E super b pass that sets up a b pass winner dtl 15-40 E attacks, goes for cute angled v but nets it 30-40 E agg f dtl forces Z f long for the break *5-2

1st unret 15-0 Repeat 30-0 Big 1st then smash winner 40-0 Cheers and a wave from a woman in a shocking pink top as E agg f forces Z to net 6-2

--

A few thoughts: Z had the bigger weapons but tended only to unleash if there was an opening, while Dan was aggressive on a more consistent basis, though he did block back some of his returns. I had the sense that Z was stood too deep in the court. The key spell in the match was probably the 4 games I missed in the 2nd set, which transformed it from Z being a break up to E being a set and a break up. It felt like a high quality contest but on reflection there were patches in the first 2 sets that were somewhat untidy.

-- Edited by kundalini on Friday 2nd of September 2016 05:51:34 AM

Montana Doug · Futures qualifying

You will all know this by the time you read it but Dan won and in style. I got home from coaching my High School Soccer team's game, we won too, and was shocked to find Dan on court and 3-2 up in the fourth set. He was serving at 3-2 and it was a long game, but he pulled it out with a little help from the net cord. He then broke again and served out to love in some style. The guy looks amazing. Like a human wall.

This just might be the boost he needs. A huge jump in the rankings and plenty of $$$$. I was amazed at what ease he served it out.

Robin · Lower Club Player

just brilliant, thanks for the commentary kundalini

Topemp · Strong Club Player

BRLLIANT!!!

5am in the morning, but wouldnt have missed that win for the world. Zverev tired after efforts of finally winning that 3rd set and didn't look the same force in the 4th but Dan's fitness impressive. Really great win, and thoroughly deserves the show court game with Stanimal in the third. Brilliant.

steven · Tennis legend

That was fantastic

Believe it or not, that's the first time since 1968 (48 years ago) that GB has got 3 men into the singles last 32 at the US Open! Back then it was Paul Hutchins, Roger Taylor and Peter Curtis, the latter going on to make R4, but it was the first USO in the Open era and two of them had byes in R1, so only needed to win one match each to get to R3. Roger Taylor was the one who had to win two to get there, while Ross's dad went out to the eventual champion, Arthur Ashe.

David Law asked me about that stat just before he did the 4th set on BBC 5 Live, so it was a bit of a frantic search and as soon as he'd 'dropped me in it' in the commentary, I thought that's bound to means that my bleary eyes missed a later year it happened, but one of the other journalists in NY later got 1968 confirmed by the ITF.

As you go back, the records get more sketchy (some nationalities not shown) but it looks like the last time 3 or more British men won back-to-back US Open singles main draw matches in the same year was 1932!

I'm pretty sure too that it's the first time GB have had 3 men in R3 at ANY slam since Wimbledon 1999 and the first time there have been 4 or more Brits (men & women) in R3 singles at any slam since 5 made it at Wimbledon in 1997.

Dan is now only a couple of places outside the top 50, continuing his amazing rise, but he'll have to oust Stan Wawrinka if he wants to break into the top 50 at the end of this US Open.

-- Edited by steven on Friday 2nd of September 2016 04:53:02 AM

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Bostin Evo

Spectator · All-time great

That's an amazing win. Well done! And thank you, Steven (as always) for the stats that show just how astonishing the whole is.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Yes, thank you for the stats, Steven and thanks to Kundalini for the terrific commentary, gave a real flavour of the match.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The Optimist wrote:
Yes, thank you for the stats, Steven and thanks to Kundalini for the terrific commentary, gave a real flavour of the match.

Absolutely !!!!