The battle of the British came alive on Tuesday evening when Dan Evans overtook Kyle Edmund 6-4, 6-4 to win a spicy duel at the National Tennis Center in Roehampton. Earlier in the day, Johanna Konta made an important step forward by recovering to defeat Katie Boulter 2-6, 7-6 (5), 10-6.
A month after Evans ousted Edmund with little fanfare in the first Battle of the British, the second edition was a testament to the power of the crowd. Surrounded only by their teammates, the pride of the top two British male players has emerged. Since the opening game, both have punctuated their victorious points with loud applause, apparently determined to silence the other.
After confusing Edmund with low slices and successful forays into the net, Evans gained the final roar and didn’t waste it. His last triumphant scream was the gesture that seemed to provoke a reaction. Instead of the delicate racquet tap that replaced the handshakes from the pandemic, Edmund hit the frame of Evans’ racquet with deliberate force. Evans reacted threateningly: “Be very careful, Kyle,” he said. “Be very careful friend.”
When the winner returned to his seething box, he refused to entertain the suggestion of Heather Watson, his teammate, that Edmund’s gesture was a joke. “He just pulled up my fucking racket,” he said.
“It was nothing,” said Edmund later. “He said he misunderstood it. It was more like, at the end of the game, touching the racket. There was nothing there – a touch of racket isn’t a big deal, to be honest. “
In the battle between two of the best British players, only tennis was dramatic. Not having competed since the beginning of March, the difference in the sharpness of the game between Konta and his rivals was as evident as in his loss of Jodie Burrage on the opening day. Konta suffered a double break down to 6-2, 3-0, but just as Boulter seemed to be rolling towards victory, Konta canceled five consecutive games when he finally found his range. Eventually Konta looked like a completely different player, commanding the baseline while ensuring an encouraging victory.
“It will take some time,” said Konta. “I think more than anything else, I think I just gave myself the chance to start playing better. In both games I thought I had a good mentality, but above all today I continued to give myself the best chance to improve my level “.
Andy Murray, who is only competing in the doubles, lost 4-6, 6-4 (10-8) with his partner Burrage against Joe Salisbury and Emma Raducanu.
