Brooksby – Evans 26-06 2025

The big highlight of the tennis season, Wimbledon, is just around the corner. So now is the time to really focus on the performances in the so-called warm-up tournaments. Some might think it's strange that the focus should then be on Brooksby and Evans, two guys far outside the top 100 rankings – but this is grass, and there are actually not that many dedicated grass specialists. Daniel Evans is one of them, Jenson Brooksby is not.

Brooksby–Evans

A dedicated grass player in Daniel Evans, meets a Jenson Brooksby who has delivered his absolute best on clay in his somewhat unstable career, in the quarter-finals of the Lexus Eastbourne Open. At first glance, it is natural to see Dan Evans as a clear and obvious favorite in this one, but "there is more than meets the eye", as they say.

Dan Evans' strengths are mainly in the tactical side of his game, which might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to grass tennis. But there's a lot to it. He adapts to his opponent, plays smart and is in my opinion a very good counter-attacker - he has the ability to attack when he's under pressure. His serve is nothing to be proud of, but it's solid.

So what about Brooksby? A player without a huge forehand or serve, no specific offensive weapon to point to – a bit like Dan Evans. So what does he have? He has an extremely high tennis IQ. He is a very good defensive player, when he is in action you have to hit with extreme angles and speed to put him out of play. Brooksby rarely delivers spectacular winners, but he delivers safe and solid shots across the board. He also has a secret superpower; he is on the spectrum. This is something he is very open about, and he benefits from it – he does not feel the pressure. He is able to completely mechanically focus on the game, no matter what the position is and no matter what is at stake. And that is a huge advantage in this sport. Imagine 0-40 in your own serve game, then you feel it – Brooksby does not. But, as always, there is a but; he went two years without matches. Injuries combined with a ban for not showing up for doping controls. He returned in January this year, and now he will make long leaps up the ATP rankings.

Conclusion:

Dan Evans has really shown himself to be the grass expert he actually is, so far this summer. Something the victory against Tommy Paul confirmed. It works to play smart, also on grass. Brooksby, for his part, had no problems sending 8th seed Nuno Borges straight to the corner of shame. Two players who are quite similar in their playing style, both are good defensively and their strength lies in solid and safe play, as well as counterattacking. So where does the value lie? Unfortunately, the bookmakers are fully aware of the potential and strengths of Brooksby, and he stands as the tight favorite. But the odds are still good, and in summary we play:

Tennis at 14:00 Brooksby – Evans: Brooksby wins (1.82)

Alternative game:

Tennis at 14:00 Brooksby – Evans: Over 23.5 games (2.02)