NEW YORK Daniel Evans defeated Karen Khachanov 6-7 (6), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4 on Tuesday to win the longest match at the US Open since tiebreakers were instituted in 1970. The match lasted five hours and thirty-five minutes. Evans lost the opening four games in the fifth set 4-0 before winning the next six. As expected, the last point was a lengthy 22-shot rally, with Evans spending much of the point on the defense until sending a powerful ball to the corner that No. 23-seeded Khachanov was unable to return over the net with his backhand.
When Stefan Edberg defeated Michael Chang in a five-setter in the semifinals of 1992, the previous record stood at five hours and twenty-six minutes.
“I’m immensely proud that I came through the match,” Evans stated. That, more than anything else, seems to be the dominant emotion. This year, I’ve had a lot of first round exits. Winning a game is good.”
Evans defeated Khachanov, a 2022 US Open semifinalist, to move up to 5-0. The match lasted 68, 67, 72, 67, and 61 minutes in sets.
In the final event of the three-time Grand Slam winner, the British player who partnered with Andy Murray in doubles at the Olympics concluded with a 201-191 total point advantage. In the second round, he moved on to face Argentina’s Mariano Navone.
“I don’t think I’ve played five hours, that long, in a day ever, in two sessions — never mind in one,” said Evans, who noted he would not be practicing Wednesday. “I was actually thinking that on the court. I’ve never practiced two hours. It’s normally an hour and a half.”
Court 6 rarely draws much of a crowd at the sprawling Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, but droves of fans had assembled by the time the match crossed the five-hour mark, overwhelming the stands despite the sweltering conditions.
According to insider source Khachanov went as short as -50000 to win when up 4-0 in the fifth set, and Evans was available to bet at +4000 during that time.
“I was trying to just play, stay out there as long as possible at 4-love, and just see where I could get myself,” Evans said. “In the fourth set I had to check to see what set we were in. I wasn’t entirely sure.
“But, yeah, I don’t really want to do that again. That’s for sure.”
