Daniel Evans marked his return to the Mubadala Citi DC Open with a victory on Monday, securing his first hard-court win at tour-level since last October. The former Washington champion from 2023 defeated Zizou Bergs in a challenging match, ending with scores of 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Evans expressed his excitement after the two-hour and 29-minute battle.
“I’ve always said even when I was solidified in the Top 30, Top 40, that winning on this Tour is never easy,” said Evans, who was once ranked No. 21 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He emphasized the importance of enjoying every moment on the court as he nears the end of his career.
Evans will face American Alex Michelsen next.
In other matches at the ATP 500 event, Reilly Opelka hit 23 aces to defeat Murphy Cassone with scores of 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-3. Opelka’s victory sets up a second-round match against Daniil Medvedev. Although Medvedev leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, Opelka won their most recent encounter.
Several Americans advanced in the tournament: Learner Tien defeated Emilio Nava; Ethan Quinn beat Christopher O’Connell; and Mackenzie McDonald won against Colton Smith.
Japanese player Yoshihito Nishioka achieved his first tour-level win since February by defeating Jenson Brooksby. Cameron Norrie also secured a victory over Billy Harris.