Evans charges on but slams ‘circus’
Brit battles into qualifying
DrEssED in all-white kit he had purchased from the high street, Dan Evans yesterday survived the humble Wimbledon pre-qualifying event — or, as he had loudly described it earlier, ‘a ( expletive
deleted) circus’. At the All England Club practice courts, the former 50 player won two matches in one day, starting with an extraordinary encounter against the one- time Wimbledon folk hero Marcus Willis, the hefty serve andvolleyer from Warwick Boat Club who faced roger Federer on Centre Court two years ago.
When Evans later beat Devonian Us college graduate Jack Findel-Hawkins 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, he secured the prize of a wildcard into the qualifying event proper at roehampton, where three more matches beckon next week.
His 7-6, 7-6 win against Willis was not only of a remarkably high calibre — you will see lesser quality opening-round matches in the main event — it also featured non- stop repartee between two old mates.
Continually joshing about their humble predicament and such things as a lack of water and bananas, an example came when Willis got a lucky net cord and apologised. ‘ You’re not sorry, though, are you? Don’t say you’re sorry if you’re not,’ snapped Evans. His opponent responded: ‘I can’t really win there, can I?’
After the match Willis tipped his opponent to qualify, and ventured that Evans’s year-long ban for social cocaine use — which ended in April but cost him a wildcard for Wimbledon — had seen him grow up somewhat and mature.
‘I’m glad Marcus is in a position to tell me I’ve matured,’ said Evans. ‘If someone says I’m not getting a wildcard, I’m not getting one. I can be as p***ed off as I want but I can’t do anything about it. I can come here and be in a mood and play rubbish or I can play my matches, get through. Now I’ve got a good chance of making the main draw.
‘I don’t have anything to prove to anybody. I’m a good tennis player — I’ve more got it to prove to myself than anyone. I’ve made a catastrophic mistake, and that’s it now.’