NEW YORK – By the end, there wasn’t much left of Dan Evans. As best as he could recall, he had never played 5½ hours of tennis in a single day ever – even over two practices.
But there he was in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday, facing No. 23 seed Karen Khachanov on Court 6 in the heat of the afternoon, somehow pushing past the pain he was feeling all over his body.
The good news for Evans was that Khachanov seemed to be struggling just as much. And at 4-4 in the fifth set, Evans started to find some openings, lacing winners and eventually pulling away for a wild 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 victory that ended after 5 hours, 35 minutes.
It was the longest match ever played at the US Open, eclipsing Stefan Edberg’s and Michael Chang’s 5 hour, 26 minute battle in the 1992 semifinals.
“It’s very easy to lose focus being tired,” the 34-year-old British veteran said. “I think I did a bit, but I just carried on fighting. It wasn’t massive, extravagant shotmaking. It might have looked like that, but he wasn’t covering too much of the court at that point. Big targets sort of got you winners.”
Evans, who won the biggest title of his career just a year ago in Washington, D.C., is down to No. 184 in the rankings. He’s struggled with injuries. He came into the US Open with a 4-17 record. His chances of competing regularly on the ATP Tour were slipping away.
One win doesn’t totally reverse that, but coming back from a 4-0 deficit in the fifth set is a massive result for a player who really needed one.
“Just trying to scrape, little by little, each point I was obviously really struggling with my legs,” Evans said. “When you’re a kid you’re just told to fight ‘til the end. That’s sort of Rule 1, and I did that pretty consistently throughout my career and it sort of paid off a bit today. I’m immensely proud I come through the match. I think that’s the overriding feeling more than anything.”
Here are the other storylines you might have missed from Day 2 of the US Open:
Biggest upset
Perhaps not the most seismic of results, but it was nonetheless surprising to see No. 11 seed Danielle Collins get knocked out by fellow American Caroline Dolehide. After winning the first set comfortably, Collins just couldn’t sustain her level and Dolehide played better on the big points to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-4. After the match, Collins refused a bouquet of flowers from tournament director Stacey Allaster that was supposed to be presented in honor of her upcoming retirement. Collins said she didn’t want the attention.
“I’m not great about having an all-about-me moment,” she said.
Biggest no-show
This award can be split between the two most prominent Canadian men, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, who won a combined 21 games and zero sets Tuesday.
Auger-Aliassime, the No. 19 seed and semifinalist here three years ago, wasn’t competitive against Jakub Mensik, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. And Shapovalov, a former top-10 player who has been in a miserable slump and is now ranked No. 105, lost to Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
The good news for Canada is that 22-year-old Gabriel Diallo, a 6-foot-8 Montreal native who played college tennis at Kentucky, got his first Grand Slam win. After coming through the qualifying draw, Diallo beat Jaume Munar 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Best losing effort
Give a hand to Li Tu, the Australian qualifier ranked No. 186 who threw a little bit of a scare into No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz. Though Alcaraz eventually pulled away comfortably, Tu managed to take advantage of some Alcaraz sloppiness to win the second set and make the third competitive for a little while.
For a 28-year-old who had a 1-7 career record at the ATP level, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 score line doesn’t look so bad.
Toughest goodbye
Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 US Open champion, has made no announcement about a potential retirement. But realistically at age 39, and with his ranking having slipped to No. 176, Tuesday’s straight sets loss to Mattia Bellucci was probably the last time he’ll play in this event.
Wawrinka was given a wild card this year and deserved one, despite his struggles lately. He has had an iconic career, beating Novak Djokovic in two Grand Slam finals and Rafael Nadal in another. But it might be hard to justify another wild card as he hits age 40.
Potential breakout star
Arthur Fils is a charismatic 20-year-old who is built like a tank, possesses massive weapons with his serve and forehand and plays with a classic French flair. He’s a perfect candidate to become a fan favorite in New York and said he was shocked at the crowd support he got Tuesday as he beat 18-year-old American Learner Tien, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
“Honestly, I was feeling almost at home today,” he said. “I was playing against an American, but the crowd was good for me.”
Seeded 24th, Fils has progressed quickly with two ATP titles under his belt already. He’s still a bit erratic, but he’s got a big game that could bring him to the top 10 or better if he keeps refining his skills. And he’s always going to show up to a tournament with a good looking haircut because he often travels with one of his best friends, who happens to be a barber. American Ben Shelton told tennis analyst Blair Henley that he also used the services of Fils’ friend before the US Open.
“It’s nice to get a fresh cut before tournaments,” Fils said.
Best upcoming anniversary
We’re only a couple days away from the five-year anniversary of an iconic tennis moment: Yes, we’re talking about Daniil Medvedev trolling the US Open crowd after he beat Feliciano Lopez under a chorus of booing.
On Aug. 30, 2019, Medvedev was an unknown quantity. Though he had just won Cincinnati, he was still largely anonymous to casual tennis fans. But when Medvedev grabbed the microphone in the post-match interview, that all changed. Practically begging for more boos, he turned wrestling heel: “I want all of you to know when you sleep tonight, I won because of you.”
Ever since, the affable Russian has had a love-hate – but mostly love – relationship with the New York crowd, minted by his surprise run to the final that year and his title in 2021.
Reminded Tuesday that it was about to be the five-year anniversary of that moment, Medvedev said it’s something worthy of celebration.
“To be honest, there are some things in my career I’m not happy of,” Medvedev said. “But this interview was probably my best ever. So if people want to celebrate, I’m there for it.”
