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Vienna Open: Dan Evans forced to retire from clash with Frances Tiafoe, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas win
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Published 24/10/2023 at 18:30 GMT+1
Dan Evans’ Davis Cup hopes have been cast into doubt after he was forced to retire from his Vienna Open first-round match against Frances Tiafoe. Evans pulled up with a calf injury during the opening set, where he was leading the American 4-1. The Davis Cup quarter-final, which Evans is scheduled to feature in against Serbia, takes place in four weeks’ time.
Highlights: Tsitsipas knocks home favourite Thiem out of Vienna Open
Video credit: SNTV
Dan Evans was forced to retire from his Vienna Open first-round tie against Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday, throwing his Davis Cup participation into doubt.
The Brit was 4-1 up and cruising during the opening set in Austria against the seventh-seeded American when he pulled up with a calf injury.
Evans, who was clearly in pain, received treatment courtside but it quickly became obvious he wouldn’t be able to continue, before limping back to the changing rooms.
Tiafoe will proceed to the second round and will face either Gael Monfils or Daniel Altmaier.
The setback for Evans comes as a blow with the Davis Cup quarter-final against Serbia just four weeks away.
After playing an integral role in Great Britain’s qualification, Evans is scheduled to feature in an unchanged team alongside Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie and Jack Draper.
If GB overcome Novak Djokovic’s Serbia on Thursday, October 24 they will advance to the semi-finals in Malaga the following week.
Weeks after narrowly exiting the Shanghai Masters to world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Evans continued his inspired form against Tiafoe and started the match well.
His serve was strong and he broke the American in the first set.
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Highlights: Rublev sees off Popyrin to reach last 16 in Vienna
Video credit: SNTV
Then all of a sudden, he sprinted from the baseline and cried out in pain when he seemed to feel something in his right calf muscle.
Evans will hope the injury is not as serious as first feared and that it won’t affect his Davis Cup participation, as GB look to win the trophy for the first time since 2015.
Elsewhere in Vienna, Andrey Rublev beat Alexei Popyrin 7-6(5) 6-4 to qualify for the next round, where he will play Matteo Arnaldi who needed two tiebreaks to beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
If Rublev wins that match, he will be assured of a place at the end-of-season Nitto ATP Finals.
Fourth seed Stefano Tsitsipas beat local hero Dominic Thiem 7-6(5) 6-4 to end his chances of a homecoming title, while Tiafoe's fellow American Tommy Paul also reached the last 16 after he eased past Alexandre Muller 6-3 6-1.
Over at the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel, Hubert Hurkacz beat Dusan Lajovic 7-6(2) 6-3 to escape the first round.
Top seed Holger Rune needed three sets to battle past Miomir Kecmanovic 1-6 7-5 6-3 and Alex de Minaur made relatively light work of Diego Schwartzman in a straight-set victory, triumphing 6-4 6-4.
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