British veteran Dan Evans broke through to win his first ATP Tour title Sunday after 14 years of trying, while Italian teenager Jannik Sinner bagged the second of his short career.
The 30-year-old Evans finally got his hands on a trophy with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Canadian youngster Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Murray River Open.
“It was a good day, I played well and good preparation going into next week,” said Evans. “I’ve lost two finals so was good to get over the line. I’m delighted with how this week went.”
It was a long time coming for eighth-seed Evans, who made his debut in 2007 and had reached two finals previously, losing them both. Williams, chasing Margaret Court’s all-time record, has since lost four Grand Slam finals, but insisted she was now used to the pressure.
But he has been in good form this week, clinching the title without dropping a set all tournament and showing no signs of fatigue ahead of the Australian Open, where he opens his campaign against fellow Briton Cameron Norrie.
He peppered Auger-Aliassime with changes of pace using his backhand slice, putting pressure on the 20-year-old who made too many unforced errors. It was another disappointment for third seed Auger-Aliassime, who has now made seven ATP finals and lost them all.
