If I could get everybody in the sporting world to watch one non-Grand Slam tennis match this year, it may be Thursday’s tilt between Dan Evans and Corentin Moutet at ATP Washington.
This is a matchup for the tennis sickos, the ones who stick with the sport from the first ball Down Under until they turn off the lights at the ATP Finals in November.
Neither Moutet nor Evans has ever cracked the top 20; neither of them has ever been beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam, and they both are under six feet tall.
They have more than that in common. Both players are known for their craft, guile, and, at times, their temper.
Moutet has become especially renowned for his on-court antics, but Evans is no stranger to an outburst himself.
In addition to their temperament, Moutet and Evans are also terrific shot-makers. Given their size and lack of power, they need to be creative with how they approach matches, so getting them both on court at the same time could produce fireworks.
After a couple of years toiling on the Challenger Circuit and then on the ATP, Moutet has put together some strong showings in 2025. The Frenchman has found a niche as a thorn-in-the-side player, and has used that style to upset two top-10 opponents (Taylor Fritz, Holger Rune) in the last three months.
Moutet’s win over Fritz came as part of an 8-3 stretch, which was one of the best of his career.
Unfortunately, that run was halted by Y.B. Wu during qualifiers for ATP Washington. Moutet would get into the main draw as a lucky loser, however, and he defeated Alexandre Muller, 6-0, 6-1, in the Round of 32.
Evans, a former winner at this event, had an up-and-down grass-court season, but he was able to grind out wins over Zizou Bergs and Alex Michelsen on the hard courts in D.C.
Moutet is the younger player and carries a much higher ranking than Evans right now, but the Englishman still has some life left in his legs, and he clearly likes the conditions at this tournament.
In a matchup between two similar players, I see no reason why the odds should be this wide. This thing could go in a million different directions, which is good news for the underdog.
The Play: Dan Evans +180 (bet365)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.