Groggy Evans has no French regrets
DAN EVANS shrugged off being booed at the end of his French Open second-round defeat, saying: “I couldn’t care less.”
British No.2 Evans, feeling the effects of a chest infection, put in a shift of almost threeand-a-half hours against 23-year-old Swede Mikael Ymer, only to lose in four sets, 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-2.
When Ymer brought up match point Evans, who had clearly had enough, just swatted his service return into the net.
The half-hearted shot was met with jeers from the crowd on a packed Court Six, but Evans was unrepentant.
“I gave away the last point, but I couldn’t care less to be honest with you,” said the 29th seed.
“I think I’d put enough effort in for three-and-a-half hours. I was physically spent. That was it for me. That’s the way it is.
“It was a difficult match. It’s frustrating and it’s upsetting, don’t get me wrong, but that’s the way it goes.”
Evans clearly looked out of sorts despite rallying to take the second set, and kept apologising for spitting and blowing his nose onto the court.
“I’ve had a chest infection since Tuesday last week,” he explained. “I’ve been struggling just with that really. It’s not ideal really.
“Normal symptoms, sweating a lot in the night, bad sleep. The normal stuff. It probably took a lot out of me playing through, getting ready. It’s unfortunate.
“Still it’s not an excuse. I was in some good situations but physically I wasn’t spot on. It is what it is.
“Did I consider pulling out? No. In the middle of last week I was a little worried, it’s not nice to be rough. I don’t want to be spitting on the court, it isn’t nice especially in this day and age.
“But I’m sure people understand if you’re ill, you’re ill. I’ve never cramped up in my life and I was cramping today after two-and-a-bit hours. Annoying, but it’s hard lines.”
Meanwhile, it has been a slow burner but Daniil Medvedev’s love affair with Paris is finally beginning to blossom.
The Russian second seed is notorious for winding up crowds and had many a run-in with the Melbourne fans at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Medvedev has also had his angry moments at the US Open and here at Roland Garros.
But the 26-year-old, who lives in France and has been speaking French in his oncourt post-match interviews, has become something of a crowd favourite, a de facto home player.
“I’m not talking about (the) Australian crowd, it was just this year,” Medvedev said after a comfortable 6-3 6-4 6-3 second-round win over Serbia’s Laslo Djere.
“If not, usually I’m super happy to go to Australia and play there. Let’s see how it’s going to be next year.
“Maybe again, I know I did some mistakes also. It’s not like they just chose me and said ‘we’re going to be against him’.
“With (the) French crowd also it was up and down sometimes. I think the first three times I lost in Roland Garros it was against French guys, and it was tough. They were definitely not cheering for me.
“Playing against a French guy in Roland Garros is one of the toughest things in tennis.
“You know, first I didn’t like – not that I didn’t like playing in France – but I didn’t have good results. Now I manage to win in Bercy, in Marseille, (reached the) quarters in Roland Garros, so I love playing in France.
“Sometimes you need time to adapt.”
Medvedev will face another Serbian, Miomir Kecmanovic, in the third round.
I don’t want to be spitting on court. It isn’t nice especially in this day and age