Daniel Evans rallied from 0-4 down within the ultimate set to beat Karen Khachanov within the longest match in US Open historical past on Tuesday, a five-hour, 35-minute epic on court docket six. In entrance of a vigorous crowd, Britain’s Evans beat the twenty third seed from Russia 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-4. “It was an extended, lengthy battle,” Evans stated. “I believed I performed fairly properly for almost all of the match. Clearly I used to be struggling bodily, however so was he. “It was type of who may final the longest in the long run.”
The earlier longest US Open match was Stefan Edberg’s victory over Michael Chang within the 1992 semi-finals, which lasted 5 hours and 26 minutes with Edberg successful 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-4.
The competition did not look headed for a file when Khachanov grabbed a 4-0 lead within the ultimate set. He then had 4 break factors on Evans’s serve however could not convert.
He rallied, urged on by the group packed into the stands and alongside the concrete walkways alongside the court docket within the shadow of the large Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“(I) simply tried to scrape little by little,” Evans stated. “Every level I used to be clearly actually battling my legs. On serve I used to be advantageous on return, in order that gave me a little bit of hope.
“While you’re a child, you are simply informed to battle till the tip. I imply, that is type of rule one. I’ve finished that fairly constantly for my profession. It type of paid off a bit right this moment.”
Every set lasted greater than an hour, the third stretching to 72 minutes.
It isn’t Evans’s first epic comeback of 2024. He and Andy Murray saved seven match factors in two straight rounds earlier than they have been eradicated within the quarter-finals of the boys’s doubles on the Paris Olympics.
Evans, who received the 2023 ATP event in Washington, skipped his title defence to compete in Paris, the misplaced rating factors inflicting his rating to plummet.
“I am immensely proud that I got here by way of the match,” stated Evans, who hasn’t made it previous the second spherical of a event this yr.
“My rating has dropped. I believed I may (win), nevertheless it’s simpler stated than finished. You may all the time assume it, however you have to go on the market and do it.”
Evans stated he would give himself a break after the marathon, which left him “hurting throughout”.
“I do not assume I’ve performed 5 hours in a day ever in two classes, by no means thoughts in a single,” he stated with fun. “I used to be really pondering that on the court docket. I’ve by no means practiced two hours. It is usually an hour and a half.
“We’ll see,” he stated of what to anticipate for his second-round match towards Argentina’s Mariano Navone.
“I will clearly be in a little bit of discomfort for the following few hours, 12 hours, 48 hours, no matter. I satisfaction myself on being fairly match, so I ought to hopefully be OK.”
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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