Evans through to final four in Canada

DAN EVANS has reached his second ATP Masters semi-final after fighting his way back at the National Bank Open.

American Tommy Paul had a blistering start to take the first set, but the British No.2 took charge in the second to push ahead for a 1-6 6-3 6-4 victory.

“You wonder if it’s going to happen, if you are going to get into the match, and I got in,” said Evans. “When I got ahead I really took it to Tommy and that’s been sort of my way throughout this week so far, and I went about it in a good way, I was fired up and I thought it was a good battle between me and Tommy.”

Pablo Carreno Busta, 31, became the only player in Montreal to avoid dropping a set as he knocked out Jack Draper to end the possibility of an all-British semi-final and book his spot against Evans.

The 20-year-old scrapped hard but the Spaniard dominated throughout to win 7-6 (4) 6-1, with his younger opponent left to appreciate a week in which he reached his first Masters quarterfinal and took down world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The other semi-final will be contested between Hubert Hurkacz and Casper Ruud, after the former defeated Nick Kyrgios and the latter sent local favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime home.

Meanwhile, the soon-to-retire Serena Williams has emerged as Emma Raducanu’s next challenge as the Briton prepares to defend her US Open title.

The world No.10 has been drawn to face Williams in the first round of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, which begins with qualifying this weekend and is likely to be the American’s final tournament before the US Open.

The 23-time grand-slam champion this week indicated she would retire after contesting Flushing Meadows after losing in straight sets to Belinda Bencic in the second round at the National Bank Open.

Raducanu, 19, went home a round earlier in Toronto, with her 7-6 (0) 6-2 defeat to defending champion Camila Giorgi following a quarter-final loss to Liudmila Samsonova at Washington’s Citi Open.

Tomorrow’s match is the first meeting between Raducanu and Williams and comes 23 years since the latter won the US Open for the first time, also as a teen.