Escobedo upsets Britain’s Evans in first round

MIAMI: Young American Ernesto Escobedo pulled off a surprise victory in three sets over Britain’s Dan Evans in the first round of the Miami Open.

The 20- year- old Mexican-American, who grew up playing on rough public courts in Los Angeles, is playing in his first ATP Tour Masters 1000 series event, having qualified with a straight-sets win over Argentine Renzo Olivo on Tuesday.

Escobedo, ranked 108th, beat the 43rd ranked Evans 7-5, 0-6, 6-3 at Crandon Park thanks mainly to his strong first serve, which included 10 aces.

“This day is very special for me. I qualified for my first Masters 1000 here in Miami and I played a tricky opponent who serves pretty well. It is pretty big to get my first win here,” Escobedo said.

“I started pretty slow but once I broke back I felt pretty comfortable and kept patient.

“In the second set, I just didn’t focus at all and my energy was very low but I am just happy to have stepped it up in the third set.”

Escobedo will now face 25th-seed Fernando Verdasco in the second round and he can expect plenty of support from a strongly Hispanic South Florida crowd.

For Evans, it was another setback after he went out in the second round at Indian Wells.

“He played pretty well. I needed to get on top early in the third set and I think he would have gone away but I didn’t,” said Evans.

“I have been serving poorly for a little bit and I wasn’t winning my points on my second serve,” said the Englishman, who was given a penalty point for bad language and racquet abuse and also had a verbal exchange with a fan at one stage.

There was more United States success against British opposition when qualifier Jared Donaldson outlasted 45th- ranked Kyle Edmund 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

Edmund served for the match at 5-3 in the second set and then had three match points in the following game.

Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka triumphed in a two-hour battle with Australia’s Jordan Thompson.

Nishioka, who reached the fourth round at Indian Wells last week, saved 11 of 14 break points to secure the 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

France’s Benoit Paire beat Slovak Martin Klizan 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 to earn a second-round challenge with 21st seed Pablo Cuevas. — AFP