-Delray Beach, Fla
Qualifier Dan Evans was the first player to reach the Delray Beach Open Semi-Finals after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Andreas Seppi. It’s the best result for the 28-year old from Great Britain since completing his 12-month suspension for drug use.
Evans got off to a hot start breaking Seppi in the first game of the match. He then jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Seppi who celebrated his 35th birthday yesterday, did break back at one point but Evans closed out the set in 40 minutes.
There was just one break in the second set that coming from Evans in the third game. He closed out the win with an ace out wide.
Evans, who did win a Challenger event in Vancouver Canada last year and also reached another Challenger Final on his home soil, has now won 5 matches in 7 days at Delray Beach two of those coming in qualifying. One of the other wins came in the first round knocking out defending champion Frances Tiafoe.
“I played pretty well today, clean match, said the former World No. 41. “My game style matched up pretty well to him (Seppi). It’s happened quicker than I thought.”
The last qualifier to reach the Delray Beach Semi Finals was Steve Johnson in 2014. Evans is two wins away from becoming the first qualifier to win the event since 2013.
He will now face hard hitting John Isner in one of Saturday’s Semi Finals. Isner fired 24 aces and saved all four break points against him to get past Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 7-6. The 6’10 American is now 7-1 all-time against the Frenchman, his only loss coming in the second round at Wimbledon in 2013 when he was forced to retire with an injury.
Isner clocked a pair of serves at 136 mph in the match and he’s now up to 65 aces in total through the Quarter-Finals. He hasn’t been broken in any of his 31 service games in the tournament. Saturday will be the first career meeting between Isner and Evans.
“I’ve never played him before,” said the World No. 9.”I didn’t realize how much he hits that slice. He’s obviously playing extremely well since that first round where he could very easily have been out and a lot of times that’s what it takes. Credit to him, kept his head, kept fighting and won that match and he’s been playing great ever since.”
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