STARNBERG, June 28, 2020
Dan Evans will take on Kyle Edmund in Sunday’s singles final of the Schroders Battle of the Brits, UK’s first behind-closed-doors tennis event. Evans fought past Andy Murray 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 on Saturday.
“It’s great. I’m immensely proud to have been on the court in this environment, in the semi-final, you don’t get to do that every day, so it’s great to come through with a win,” Evans said.
His perfect record lives on.
Evans defeats Murray in a second set tiebreak to reach the Final.#BattleoftheBrits pic.twitter.com/o1191V1hnA
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 27, 2020
“I thought I started the match well and then like in all of my matches this week, my levels dropped off a bit after that,” said Murray, who played his last competitive match on the tour when representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid last December.
“I’ve just not been able to sustain a high level for long enough. My game is there, I just need more time to practice and prepare and I’ll get there.
“It was a big step up this week from what I’ve been doing, and I coped with it physically relatively well, I thought I moved better with each match and was a bit more confident. It was a positive week.
“Some of the tennis this week has been very encouraging, I just wasn’t able to do it for long enough in the matches.
“That’s something that when I was up at the top of the game and competing regularly, my level was the same throughout whereas I’m struggling to maintain that, probably just with lack of matches.”
Murray suggested he will not compete again until the ATP Tour resumes with the Citi Open in Washington, which is scheduled to start on August 14.
“It’s just so close to a slam and I would hate to pick up a niggle or something that prevented me from playing in New York.
“I would rather play Washington and miss the event the week before the US Open, if they all go ahead.”
Later in the afternoon, Edmund defeated Cameron Norrie 6-7, 6-4, 10-8.
“I felt he was a bit happier with his game than I was,” Edmund said. “Had to dig deep, get my energy up. The close games are key when you look back. My backhand winners at 8-8 was not too precise but it came off – also for match point. Had to work for it.”
And the Final is set.@kyle8edmund defeats Norrie 6-7, 6-4, 10-8 and will face off with Dan Evans. pic.twitter.com/q3XgCMWFDs
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 27, 2020
Australians enjoy safe play as they hit tennis courts in record numbers
Data obtained from Tennis Australia’s award winning Book a Court online booking system has shown a sharp increase in the number of people playing tennis during May 2020, compared to the same time last year. This was announced by Tennis Australia on Saturday.
A record 32,234 bookings were made across the country at 235 tennis venues using the technology last month alone.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley is not surprised by the increase.
“We’ve always known that tennis is a unique sport – it can be played by anyone no matter their age or ability – and now, during the pandemic, we are seeing more people enjoying the social, mental and physical benefits of sport while maintaining strict physical distancing measures,” Tiley said.
“The increase in bookings we’ve seen across the country is not accidental. Safety and trust have been the most important factors as clubs and coaches across the country have prepared for the return to tennis and the team has done a remarkable job to give everyone the information and bio security protocols they need to get players back on court as safely as possible. And our clubs and tennis venues are seeing the rewards as a result of their efforts
“As restrictions in most of the country continue to ease over the coming months we hope to build on these results as we approach our summer, and know that as long as we all continue to play our part and practice all the physical distancing and hygiene protocols, tennis at all levels can also play a major role in the recovery from this devastating pandemic.
What they’re sharing on social media
Judy Murray and her cover boys
Aryna Sabalenka at work
