The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Evans beats qualifier to end losing streak
Dan Evans ended a five-match losing streak with victory ove r I ta l ian qualifier Salvatore Caruso in the opening round of the European Open in Antwerp.
The British number one was winless on clay and also lost a very tight match against Stan Wawrinka in St Petersburg last week but withstood a spirited comeback from Caruso to triumph 6-2 3-6 6-3.
Evans let out a huge roar at the end and will take on American Frances Tiafoe, against whom he has a 1-1 record in tour-level matches, in round two.
It was a good day for Britain with Cameron Norrie also progressing with victory over another q u a l i f i e r, Finn Emil Ruusuvuori.
Norrie trailed 5-2 in the second set but fought back well to win 6-3 7- 6 (7- 4) and will take on either fifth seed Milos Raonic or former British player
Aljaz Bedene in round two.
British players have lifted the trophy in Antwerp for the last two years, with Kyle Edmund claiming his first ATP Tour title in 2018 while last year saw Andy Murray mark his return to the winners’ table with an emotional triumph.
Rafael Nadal will prolong his season by playing at the Paris Masters next month.
The world number two said after winning his 20th grand- slam title at the French Open earlier this month that he was unsure whether he would be back on a match court in 2020.
But Na d a l posted a picture on Twitter yesterday of him training indoors at his academy in Majorca and the accompanying message revealed he will return to the French capital for the final Masters event of the season, beginning on November 2.
The Spaniard wrote: “It’s indoor season time... this picture was earlier today
p rac t ic ing a t the @ rnadalacademy... And yes... getting ready for #ParisBercy.”
Nadal’s appearance in Paris also makes it much
more likely that he will take his place at the ATP Finals, which is being held in London for the final time.
It is the biggest title the
34-year-old has never won and, by playing indoors, he has the chance to put some pressure on Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings.