Britain’s Daniel Evans rides a wave of solid play to the semi-finals in Montreal

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Daniel Evans hopes the overflow crowd at IGA Stadium got their money’s worth on Friday night as he and Tommy Paul provided two hours and 17 minutes of entertaining tennis before Evans earned his ticket to the semi-final. on Saturday of the National Bank Open with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

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This was a match of ups and downs. Paul dominated the first set, lost the second with a single service break and fought off three match points before Evans, a 32-year-old Briton, held serve and reached the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 event for the second time in his story. career.

“Those moments in the game when the crowd is interested, that’s why they buy their tickets,” Evans said. “He saved a match point on my serve (in the final game) and that’s not what I wanted to happen, but that’s what life is all about. It was an incredible game, an incredible atmosphere. I’ve played on (center court) before, but during the day. It was incredible, but there is something about playing sports at night that is very special.”

Evans said it didn’t bother him that Paul easily won the first set.

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“It was a 6-1 set, but I didn’t think I could carry that through the match and if I did, I would have to reach out and shake his hand,” Evans said. “I had points to hold my serve at the beginning, but he was too good.

“I don’t think there was a tipping point,” Evans added. “He lost some balls in the third set and then I really stuck with him and there was a lot of pressure on his serve.”

Evans said he was happy with his play this week, which included wins over fifth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev and 10th-seeded American Taylor Fritz.

“If someone tells you they don’t care about their position in the tournament, they’re lying,” Evans said. “It’s always in the back of your head where you are in the tournament. I was happy to be in the quarterfinals and I won and I’m in the semis. That’s why you play, that’s why I’m here fighting every day with training and practice and if it stops in the semifinals, so be it and I’m off to Cincinnati.”

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Evans will face the winner of a late match between two other unseeded players: Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta and British qualifier Jack Draper.

Saturday afternoon’s semifinal pits fourth seed Casper Ruud of Norway against eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.

Ruud spoiled home fans on Friday afternoon when he crushed Montreal’s sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-2, while Hurkacz edged Australian Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5). , 6-1. Hurkacz is also in the doubles semifinal with compatriot Jan Zielinski.

Evans started the week in 34th place and Friday’s win ensures he will move up to at least 23rd when the new rankings are released on Monday.

After doing his post-match interviews, he returned to the court later on Friday to play a quarter-final doubles match with Australia’s John Peers.

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