Atlanta Open: Koepfer saves three match points en route to quarter-finals

Dominik Koepfer has defeated Daniel Evans 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 on Thursday afternoon at the Atlanta Open 2023, executing a gritty comeback to make his first quarter-final in two years

Dominik Koepfer (Image Credit: Zuma / Panoramic)

Bren Gray

July 27, 2023

Atlanta Open •Round of 16 • completed

See draw

D. EvansvsD. Koepfer

Germany’s Dominik Koepfer has come back from the brink to defeat No 3 seed Daniel Evans at the Atlanta Open on Thursday evening.

The encounter was played in sweltering heat, with temperatures reaching 36 degrees. Evans squandered multiple opportunities to close out the match, at one stage holding three match points at 2-6, 3-5 and 0-40, with Koepfer eventually winning 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

For Koepfer, it is only the sixth top 30 win of his career. The win sees the 29-year-old book a spot in the Atlanta Open quarter-finals, where he’ll play either Maxime Cressy or J.J Wolf. World No 88 Koepfer has already defeated one American this tournament, doing it tough against John Isner 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in his opening match.

Evans, on the other hand, is left to ponder what went wrong. The Brit has now lost seven ATP Tour-level matches in a row, dating back to mid-April when he made the Barcelona semi-finals.