Evans back with bang in Davis Cup but Norrie loses
For Britain’s hardy Davis Cup fans in Glasgow yesterday, it was a case of the ecstasy then the agony. After Dan Evans produced a sensational comeback victory against Denis Istomin, Cameron Norrie suffered one of the all-time great Davis Cup chokes as he lost from two sets and a match point up to the world No 434 Jurabek Karimov.
It had all looked rosy for Britain when Norrie held a match point in the third set, but he went into meltdown and ended up suffering a humiliating 0-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 defeat. To give a sense of the 20-year-old Karimov’s complete lack of pedigree, he has not played a single ATP Tour-level match, instead spending most of his short career turning out on the third-tier Futures circuit.
Norrie’s loss means the tie – which will decide if Britain are seeded for next year’s preliminary round – is finely poised at 1-1 ahead of today’s doubles rubber. A disbelieving Norrie said afterwards: “I’ll try to forget that as soon as possible but it hurts a lot because I am not playing for myself, I’m playing for the team.
“I competed as hard as I could and I have another chance to get the ‘w’ on Sunday.”
What a contrast the shell-shocked mood in the Emirates Arena at the end of the day’s play was to the jubilation that had greeted Evans’s epic 4hr 11 min 7-6, 4-6, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over world No62 Istomin.
Evans, who only returned to tennis five months ago following a drugs ban for taking cocaine, fought back tears after securing an emotional victory.
Reflecting on his enforced absence, he said: “You’re just so far away from the world you are used to. I had to live a pretty boring, sheltered life. No real existence or importance. I didn’t have anything to do because I couldn’t play tennis. I would just wait at home for my girlfriend to come back from work.
“I had doubts I would ever make it back. I still have doubts. But days like today make you see light at the end of the tunnel.”
Captain Leon Smith said that the day’s drama showed why there was such resistance to next year’s revamping of the Davis Cup, which will mean far fewer home-andaway ties like this and an end to best-of-five set matches. “These are the games people will miss,” he said. “The good thing is across both teams there was no lack of effort.”