Friday 2 September 2016 09:57, UK
Britain's Dan Evans secured one of the biggest wins of his career as he took apart Germany's rising star Alexander Zverev at the US Open.
Nineteen-year-old Zverev, ranked 28th in the world, is considered one of the game's brightest young talents, but Evans rose to the challenge at Flushing Meadows to triumph 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-2.
It is only Evans' third victory against a top-30 opponent and his reward is a round-three meeting with two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka.
Evans also joins Andy Murray and Kyle Edmund in making progress, meaning Britain has three men in the US Open third round for the first time since 1968.
"It was probably the best win of my career," Evans said. "The situation and circumstances, late at night, difficult mentally. To come back in the fourth and get on top was good."
A rain-interrupted afternoon meant the match did not start until almost 9pm local time but, after a long wait, it was Evans who settled quickest, breaking in the very first game and holding on to serve out the set.
Zverev looked to be finding his rhythm when he went 2-0 up early in the second but double faults gifted two breaks to Evans, with the second prompting an episode of serious racket-lashing into the court.
Zverev was given a code violation by umpire Ali Nili and, when Evans swapped sides, he rather pointedly asked the ball boys if they might come and clear the residual shavings of aluminium.
Tensions rose again at 5-4, as Evans spurned three set points, and Zverev raged after claiming to hear a line judge call a ball out.
Evans finally served out for a two-set lead but Zverev continued to feel aggrieved, this time at his opponent for celebrating his double faults.
There was the threat of a comeback in set three, when Zverev was more assertive and broke twice to reduce the deficit, but Evans never flinched.
A superb drop-shot sealed one break early in the fourth before a blistering backhand pass grabbed another for 5-2. Evans served out to confirm victory in three hours and nine minutes before saluting the enraptured crowd that had stayed.
