Dan Evans and Coco Gauff Taste Washington Glory
Locker Room
August 7, 2023
Dan Evans completed a remarkable feat and showed sheer determination to claim arguably the biggest success of his sporting life.
Super Brit Dan is definitely the man after he overcame big-name players, rain delays and fixture congestion to emerge victorious across the Atlantic.
This is the first ATP 500 title of his career – and no one could have deserved his glory more.
Evergreen “Evo” climbs to world number 21 at the age of 33, as he prepares for more Grand Slam action.
Another Wimbledon favourite, Coco Gauff also returned to winning ways after her disappointment at the All England Club last month.
Dan Evans and Coco Gauff will aim to find their best form again at Wimbledon 2024 next summer!
But for now it’s all about getting ready for the US Open. And Evans is in dreamland in Washington DC.
The brave Brit’s Citi Open adventure included beating two players in a single day as the rain played havoc with the schedule.
And one of those players was the second seed in Washington, the highly-rated Frances Tiafoe of America.
Taylor Fritz had been required to win twice in a day as well, as he roared into the semi-final.
But the favourite then lost to the man Evans eventually beat in a rain-interrupted final.
Englishman Evans held his nerve, maintained his focus and shook off any lingering fatigue to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 7-5, 6-3 in the showpiece. The gutsy Brummy saved no fewer than four break points in the penultimate game.
And he had already beaten a huge star in Grigor Dimitrov to take their semi-final clash in straight sets.
No one expected Dan the Man to grab such a prestigious trophy after struggling for consistency for so long.
Evans admitted: ‘I wasn’t playing very well and I wasn’t happy with my game,’ after he ended a seven-match losing streak in dramatic style. ‘To do the work I’ve done and stick with it to win here is amazing.’
Meanwhile Coco Gauff was on a similar high after she beat Greece’s powerful Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 for an emphatic triumph in the women’s tournament.
Coco hardly put a foot wrong as she took control and never looked back, to the delight of the American crowd.
‘It was really tough a couple of weeks ago,’ admitted Coco, who was knocked out of Wimbledon in the first round. ‘I’m glad I was able to bounce back.’
Dan Evans and Coco Gauff could recapture this special brand of tennis at Wimbledon 2024!
Will you be at the big one next summer and enjoy all the glamour and history of Wimbledon 2024?
In the mean time, let’s enjoy Dan and Coco’s progress at the US Open!