US Open 2016: Dan Evans and Andy Murray seek to reach fourth round

Posted: Sep 03, 2016

US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September
Coverage: Live commentary on Radio 5 live sports extra plus live text on the big matches on the BBC Sport website and app.

Britain’s Dan Evans and Andy Murray will seek to make it four Britons in the last 16 of the US Open when they compete in the third round on Saturday.

Evans, 26, takes on third seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland at around 22:00 BST as he bids to make the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Murray, the second seed, is yet to drop a set and faces Italy’s world number 40 Paolo Lorenzi at around 19:00 BST.

Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund reached the last 16 with wins on Friday.

Evans, ranked 333 last year, beat German rising star Alexander Zverev in the second round and is on the verge of breaking into the world’s top 50 players.

For a long time Evans, by his own admission, failed to match his talent with the commitment required, but now his hard work is starting to bring rewards.

He broke into the top 100 for the first time in April and now the world number 64 faces two-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka in the biggest match of his career.

“The number one most important thing is he decided he wanted to play tennis properly,” said Britain’s Davis Cup captain Leon Smith.

“It doesn’t matter who was in his ear telling him he had ability, telling him he could have a career, that doesn’t matter. It’s got to come from within.

“For Dan it took him until he was 25 years old to say, ‘I want to do this’.”

Murray, 29, has arguably had the best year of his career, winning Wimbledon, the Olympics and reaching three out of three Grand Slam finals.

“I have capitalised on a few opportunities,” he said.

“When some of the other top guys maybe hadn’t played or struggled or lost, it’s important I have taken those chances when they have come.”

Lorenzi, 34, reached the third round with a draining five-set win against Frenchman Gilles Simon on Thursday.

A former medical student with a surgeon brother in London, this will be his first appearance in a Grand Slam third round.

“I’m feeling dead,” Lorenzi said after his win over Simon. “I’m feeling very tired but it is normal because we play almost five hours. I have one day off so I hope that on Saturday I will be full power again.

“I have to be 100% because my only chance is to play my best tennis and even then maybe it’s not enough.”

Serena and Venus Williams, Kei Nishikori and Juan Martin del Potro are among other players in action on day six at Flushing Meadows.