Dan Evans set up another Grand Slam meeting with Roger Federer by beating French 25th seed Lucas Pouille in the US Open second round in New York.
The British men’s number two, 29, dug deep to overcome an out-of-sorts Pouille in a 6-4 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win.
Evans said he has the belief he can push five-time US Open champion Federer, who beat him at Wimbledon in 2016 and at the Australian Open earlier this year.
“I hope to enjoy the occasion and not just be part of the show,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live of a match that will also be played on Friday.
“I know Roger’s game pretty well, but have to put to the side that I’m playing him. It’s the third round of a major and I have the chance to reach the fourth round – I’m confident I can do it.”
Evans, now 58th in the world after being unranked last year, impressively punished Pouille in the opening two sets, then recovered well after losing his way in the third.
Evans was praised by Federer after the Briton pushed him in a 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 second-round defeat in Melbourne in January and has another opportunity to test him further in New York.
The 38-year-old said it was like “playing in the mirror a little bit” and then went on to invite Evans to practice with him in Switzerland before the French Open.Federer has made slow starts in his opening wins over Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal and Damir Dzumhur, looking a shadow of his usual self in poor first sets.