Evans relieved to defy fatigue and battle back
DAN Evans stared at an early exit from the Australian Open before turning things around against Mackenzie McDonald and recording the first five-set comeback of his career.
The British No.1 had never previously won a match after losing the first two sets but he found his game just in time at a chilly and blustery Melbourne Park to win 3-6 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-3.
Evans cut a frustrated figure during the first two sets, shout- ing frequently at his support camp and hurling his racket in anger during a tense final game of the second set.
His terrific form in the ATP Cup elevated his ranking to a career-high 32 ahead of the tournament, earning him a seeding for the first time at a Grand Slam.
Evans had spoken about the need to handle the status of favourite and impose his game on lower-ranked opponents, something he was unable to do against World No.129 McDonald.
He cited fatigue after an intense start to the season for his early struggles and demeanour, saying: “When you are tired, your patience is less.
“I was frustrated over not a lot really. When you are two sets down, you think you are going home. I was just happy to turn it. Once I had got up in the third, I felt pretty good that he was flagging a bit and I was going up.
“I just hung in, I felt my level was there somewhere. In the end I thought I was strong.”
Novak Djokovic dropped a set in the first round of the Australian Open for the first time in 14 years but recovered to beat Jan-Lennard Struff.
Djokovic is going for an eighth title at Melbourne Park and is
Big comeback: Dan Evans on his way to a thrilling revival
the clear favourite but he admitted he has focused on recuperation over the past week after an unusually intense build-up that involved leading Serbia to the inaugural ATP Cup trophy.
He did much right and will not be overly concerned about the third set claimed by big-hitting German Struff, with Djokovic responding decisively in a 7-6 (5) 6-2 2-6 6-1 victory.
The second seed said: “I thought I started off well, I was a break up in the first set, he came back. Second set I played really well then he turned it around. Credit to him for fighting.”
Roger Federer remains cautious despite a convincing firstround win over Steve Johnson.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion had not played a competitive match since the ATP Finals in November but breezed past American Johnson 6-3 6-2 6-2.
He said: “I just haven’t played proper matches in many weeks, and a lot of guys are coming here with matches. Anything I was doing I felt like I had the game under control. That might not be the case in the next round, so I just think I have to be careful.”