Battle of the Brits: Dan Evans warns Kyle Edmund for ‘belting’ racket after match

Tense encounter at the net followed Evans’ win over his compatriot

Handshakes across the net have been replaced by the tapping of rackets amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but a fired-up Dan Evans took umbrage at Kyle Edmund “belting” his frame after their Battle of the Brits match on Tuesday.

World No28 Evans defeated the 44th-ranked Edmund 6-4 6-4 in a high-quality encounter between Britain’s top two players.

However, Evans’ fist-pumping celebrations after sealing the win were followed by an encounter at the net that saw Edmund strike the frame of Evans’ racket with what the latter said was undue force, triggering an angry response.

“Be very careful, Kyle. Be very careful, mate,” Evans said.

“Did you see what he did to my racket? He just teed my racket,” the 30-year-old told team-mates sitting courtside. “When I put my racket there, he just absolutely belted it.”

However, Edmund said he later approached Evans to smooth things over.

“Dan said he misinterpreted it,” 25-year-old Edmund said.

“A racket touch is not that big a deal, to be honest.”

Last month, Evans beat Edmund in the final of the first edition of the tournament.

Reuters