Tennis – Evans beats Khachanov in longest US Open match ever | The Mighty 790 KFGO

By Amy Tennery

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Britain’s Dan Evans defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4 in the longest U.S. Open match of the professional era on Tuesday to advance to the second round after an extraordinary comeback from four games behind in the final set.

Evans, ranked 184th in the world and once the British number one, beat world number 22 Khachanov in five hours and 35 minutes, beating the previous record of 5:26 set by Swede Stefan Edberg to beat American Michael Chang in the 1992 semifinals.

Court 6 of the sprawling Billie Jean King National Tennis Center rarely draws large crowds, but by the time play had passed the five-hour mark, hordes of fans had gathered there, crowding the stands despite the sweltering heat.

Khachanov seemed to have the Brit on the ropes when he took a 4-0 lead in the final set, but Evans found some fighting spirit left in him and fended off four break points in the fifth game before converting a break point opportunity in the sixth game.

Fans jumped to their feet when Evans fended off another break point in the seventh game and erupted in thunderous applause when Khachanov lost serve in the eighth game.

The Russian cried out in frustration as he wasted another break chance in the ninth set, but refused to give up without a fight and fended off two match points in the final game.

Evans, visibly exhausted, braced himself briefly at the net after winning with an unreturnable forehand shot and thus preparing the duel with the Argentinian Mariano Navone.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby Davis)