Thursday 22 October 2020 20:44, UK
British No 1 Dan Evans has continued his good run at the European Open in Antwerp by making it through to the quarter-finals.
Evans, who ended a five-match losing streak with victory over Italian qualifier Salvatore Caruso in the opening round, beat American Frances Tiafoe in straight sets.
The 30-year-old, who announced his forthcoming split from coach Mark Hilton on Tuesday, edged a tight first set on a tie-break but raced away with the second, winning the last four games for a 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 victory.
Evans will face third seed Karen Khachanov in the last eight after the Russian battled back to beat Belgian wild card Zizou Berg 5-7 6-4 6-4.
There was disappointment for Britain in the doubles, however, as Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski were beaten 6-4 6-4 by Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop.
Second seed Pablo Carreno Busta was a high-profile casualty in the second round.
The Spaniard, a semi-finalist at last month's US Open, won the first set against Ugo Humbert of France but bowed out 5-7 6-3 6-4.
Fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov came through a tough tussle with another Spanish player, Pablo Andujar, with the Bulgarian triumphing 4-6 6-3 6-4.
Taylor Fritz, the seventh seed, won the all-American clash with Reilly Opelka 7-6 (7-5) 6-1, eighth seed Alex De Minaur dispatched Feliciano Lopez 6-4 6-2.
Top seed Elina Svitolina was toppled in straight sets by Maria Sakkari at the Ostrava Open.
Sakkari, from Greece, broke Svitolina's serve five times and blasted 32 winners on her way to a 6-3 6-3 victory and a place in the quarter-finals.
There were also wins for US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and seventh seed Elise Mertens.
In other news, former Wimbledon semi-finalist Julia Goerges announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 31.
Goerges wrote that she was "ready to say goodbye" after a 15-year pro career.
"I always knew how I would feel when it is time to say goodbye to you, and that moment has arrived. I am ready to close the tennis chapter of my life and open a new one, which I am really excited about," said the German.
Goerges reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2018 before losing in straight sets to Serena Williams. She was runner-up in mixed doubles at the French Open in 2014 alongside Nenad Zimonjic and was a finalist in the Fed Cup with Germany in 2014.
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