ATP Chengdu: Cristian Garin downs Kyle Edmund. Evans and Klahn reach R2

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 15:33

The main draw at the fourth edition of the ATP 250 Chengdu Open has begun on Monday, with three matches ahead of six encounters scheduled for Tuesday. The 7th seed Kyle Edmund has lost the fourth straight match on the Tour, suffering a commanding 6-3, 6-2 defeat to Cristian Garin in 72 minutes.

The Chilean dropped 13 points in nine service games, facing only one break point and keeping the pressure on the Briton all the time. Kyle seized that opportunity but that wasn't enough to keep him safe, giving away half of the points behind the initial shot and getting broken four times from seven chances offered to Cristian.

Garin squandered four game points in the third game to suffer a break, sending Edmund in front before pulling it back in the very next game after a loose forehand from the Briton to level the score at 2-2. Cristian held at love in game five and made a complete turnaround with another break that sent him 4-2 up after another loose forehand from Edmund.

Three winners in game seven pushed Garin 5-2 in front, wrapping up the opener with four service winners two games later for a 6-3 in under 40 minutes, hoping for more of the same in the rest of the encounter. Unable to find the range or impose his shots, Kyle got broken at love in the first game of the second set after a forehand winner from Garin who held at love to confirm a break and made a big step towards the finish line with a break in game three thanks to a return winner.

Four winners pushed the Chilean 5-1 up, sealing the deal with a service winner in game eight for a rock-solid win and the place in the last 16. Daniel Evans needed two hours and 27 minutes to prevail against Yan Bai 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 for the 16th ATP win from 30 matches in 2019.

The Briton won four points more than his rival, playing better on the second serve and saving four out of seven break chances, scoring four breaks from ten opportunities on the return to cross the finish line first. Evans had the advantage in the opening set, bringing it home with breaks in games three and nine for a 6-3 before Bai shifted into a higher gear, losing only two points on serve in the second set and taking 12 of the last 15 points for a 6-4 and the deciding set.

There, the Chinese was 3-2 and 5-4 in front before Daniel pulled the break back in the very last moment in that tenth game, reaching the tie break that he won 7-4 to escape and move into the second round. In the battle of the qualifiers, Bradley Klahn prevailed against Jason Jung 4-6, 6-3 7-6 in two hours and 13 minutes, scoring two points more than his rival in a mighty close encounter that saw two breaks for each player.

They claimed the opening two sets with a single break in each, with Jung breaking back in the sixth game of the decider to stay on the level terms until the tie break that the American won 7-2 for the fourth ATP victory this season.