Tesni Evans And Joel Makin Come Through First Round Tests At World Championships

Tesni Evans is into the second round of the World Championships in Chicago after a straight sets victory.

The 26-year-old triumphed 13-11,11-4, 11-9 against Holland’s Milou van der Heijden in the $500,000 tournament at Union Station.

Evans, seeded 10 for the event, took 37 minutes to see off the world ranked 31 player who had just won her third Dutch national title.

Rhyl-based Evans had gone into the championships fresh from defending her British title in Nottingham last week.

Evans, the world No 11, now faces Hong Kong’s Liu Tsz-Ling, the world No 40, in the second round.

Joel Makin was on course to beat world No 5 when he suffered injury, but won on his comeback.

Joel Makin is also into the second round after coming through a five-set, 78 minute battle with Hong Kong’s Yip Tsz Fung.

The 23-year-olf from Haverfordwest, who has risen to 19 in the world,  came from two games to one down to triumph.

Makin won 11-6, 9-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9 and now faces Egypt’s Youssef Soliman in the second round.

The Birmingham-based player is making his return after being forced out of the Tournament of Champions in New York in January with an ankle injury when leading No 6 seed Karim Abdel Gawad.

But there was disappointment for Caerphilly’s Peter Creed who bowed out after another five game battle.

Creed lost 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 6-11 after a gruelling 80 minute battle.