Duo are still on track for Aussie Open

DAN Evans and James Ward kept their hopes of qualifying for the Australian Open on track but fellow Britons Katie Swan and Jay Clarke were left disappointed.

Evans, 28, swept aside Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Da Silva in the first round of qualifying, before Ward battled back from a set down to defeat home favourite Maverick Banes.

Swan, however, left court in a wheelchair after injury forced her to retire against Bianca Andreescu, while Clarke suffered a straight-sets defeat.

World number 190 Evans needed just under an hour to post a 6-2 6-3 victory, breaking his opponent three times without facing a single break point against his own serve.

He will now face Austrian Jurij Rodionov in the second round of qualifying as he bids to secure a spot in the main draw.

British number three Ward did not have such a smooth progression as he was made to work hard by 26-year-old Australian Banes.

Banes, ranked 301st in the world, recovered from a break of service in the opening game to take the opening set.

But he was eventually overpowered and Ward won four successive games to close out the match and record a 3-6 6-1 6-2 success which sets up a meeting with Argentinian Marco Trungelliti.

Elsewhere, Swan was left in tears and considerable pain as her match with Canada’s Andreescu came to an abrupt end. The 19-year-old suffered a back spasm, although the problem is not thought to be serious.

Andreescu led 6-1 at the time as she looks to continue the form which saw her reach Sunday’s Auckland Open final.

Earlier, Clarke, ranked 237th in the world, suffered a 6-2 6-3 defeat to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Cameron Norrie secured his spot in the quarter-finals of the ASB Classic in Auckland with a straight-sets win over Joao Sousa.

The 23-year-old saved all six break points faced to battle past his Portuguese opponent 7-6 (7/5) 6-4 in an hour and 35 minutes.

He will face American Taylor Fritz, who beat top seed John Isner, in the last eight.