If you were making a commercial to showcase the aesthetic joys of tennis then Dan Evans against Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open Saturday would provide a treasure trove of material.
The sorcery of the diminutive British number two versus the phenomenal all round game of the young Spaniard was always likely to be a good watch, and together they reeled off a dazzling array of memorable points.
Purely as a contest, however, the defending champion and Wimbledon winner was expected to be too strong, and that became the reality as he progressed into the last sixteen.
Before doing so the Arthur Ashe Stadium delighted in some mesmerising exchanges that made up a 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-3 victory for the top seed over three hours and 11 minutes.
Evans left the court to a huge ovation, including from his opponent, having shown his outstanding hand skills in their best light, serving up every shot in the book.
Defending champion and Wimbledon winner progressed to the US Open fourth round
The top seed toppled Brit Dan Evans a 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-3 victory over three hours and 11 minutes
‘He is a tricky opponent, good slices and touch, and this is also my game. When we play each other it’s a show and people love that, some great points. I’m really happy to get through,’ said Alcaraz. ‘The points made us smile, it is great to see that on a tennis court, we play to entertain and make the match fun.’
Nothing which happened suggests that next Sunday will be anything other than a showdown between Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, repeating the dramatic championship seen at SW19 earlier this summer.
Overnight the Serb had been given a considerable scare, losing the first two sets to compatriot Laslo Djere before winning comfortably enough in the end at 130am on Saturday morning.
With number nine Taylor Fritz the highest seed left in Djokovic’s half it is difficult not to see him keeping his side of the bargain, and today he has a straightforward looking assignment against Croatian qualifier Borna Gojo.
Alcaraz may well find himself up against the likes of Alex Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev in the latter rounds. In the next round he will face Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who last night shocked British number one Cam Norrie 6-3 6-4 6-3 in an impressive display.
It has been a strange summer for Evans – losing first rounds, despairing at Wimbledon, suddenly popping up to win the ATP title in Washington DC before losing two more first rounds.
His confidence levels were raised up again here by winning his first two rounds, and realising that he is at his best when sticking to what he does best, making life awkward for opponents with his variety of spins and slices, being aggressive and repeatedly asking questions.
That method proved too much for Colombia’s Daniel Galan and Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp, but clearly Alcaraz represents a completely different proposition.
Nonetheless he stuck to his task impressively after the early exchanges suggested a runaway victory for the current world number one.
Evans and the young Spaniard reeled off a dazzling array of memorable points at Arthur Ashe
Alcaraz raced to a 3-0 lead while Evans struggled to impose his game. After a one-sided first set there followed a wonderfully free-flowing exhibition of tennis in which both players contributed to one superb point after another, bringing roars of approval from the packed arena.
While there were smiles on both sides of the net from the two players as they manoeuvred each other to every corner of the vast arena, things got more serious for Alcaraz as he lost his first set of the week.
Evans, enormously enjoying himself, nicked the third set and stood toe-to-toe in the fourth before being broken for 4-2 with a quite staggering forehand passing winner from the Spaniard which clipped the back of the line, leaving the British player staring at him in astonishment and disbelief.
Evans, the British number two nicked the third set and stood toe-to-toe in the fourth
Arnaldi played a gruelling five setter in the second round versus Frenchman Arthur Fils, and Norrie would have been hoping to grind him down in the manner that he has done to so many opponents in recent years.
The Italian, however, looked perfectly fresh and backed up the prophecy of those in Italian tennis who reckon him to be the next nugget off what is becoming something of a production line.
Having left England on the night of the Wimbledon final for his trip around the US Evans now heads back to play in the qualifying group stage in Manchester for the Davis Cup finals later this year. Norrie will join him while Andy Murray has questioned whether he will be on the team.
Katie Boulter was the last Gb woman remaining in the third round, and was last night due to face American Peyton Stearns.