Showman Dan has still got it
Evans wins with style on return from drugs suspension
DEBATE will linger over whether Dan Evans should have received a wildcard to aid his comeback, but in pure tennis terms he laid the argument to rest yesterday.
Returning from a year’s ban for testing postive for cocaine, the former world No 41 emerged victorious from a surprisingly high quality first round qualifying match at the Glasgow Trophy to move withi n one vi ct ory of making the main draw.
A late flurry of winners from set point down brought a partial standing ovation from a crowd of around 300 at the Scotstoun Centre as he clinched a tiebreak 8- 6 to beat compatriot Ed Corrie 6-3, 7-6.
Evans revealed afterwards that he had not requested a place in the main draw, when asked about the wildcard he was given. The Lawn Tennis Association set a precedent last year when it offered one to Maria Sharapova at the much bigger pre-Wimbledon WTA women’s tournament at Birmingham.
‘I needed to play tennis, I never asked for the main draw,’ he said. ‘As you can see the [qualifying] draw is not full so it’s not like I’m taking someone else’s opportunity away which would then be unfair.
‘I don’t feel awkward, there’s not so many players in Britain to take the wildcards, it’s not like I’m pinching them off people. With wildcards it’s difficult. If I get one I get one, if I don’t, I can’t have any qualms because I failed a drugs test.’
What became obvious over his lunchtime match is that he has certainly not forgotten how to play tennis, and there were ample reminders of the sublime racket skills that were lost to the game due to his reckless behaviour.
While his fitness is still clearly short of optimum levels, and his serve showed signs of ring rust, the clean hitting, crisp volleys and elegant backhand delighted an unusually bumper crowd for this lowly tier of professional tennis.
Corrie is ranked 427 but is a seasoned campaigner who is one of the better British nearly men of recent years, having previously knocked on the door of the top 200. He is not the kind of player who gives it away.
‘It was a difficult match to play Ed, he is a bit awkward so it was good for me, I needed to use my legs a lot,’ said Evans, who now plays Ireland’s Sam Barry.
‘I thought the match was good quality although I didn’t serve great. I didn’t make too many silly errors. The tough thing will be when I get a bit tired. It was great, I’ve always liked playing in Glasgow and I’m glad quite a few people came out to watch.’
Having gone nearly eight months until late February without picking up a racket, his natural talent carried him through, and perhaps the most eyecatching thing was the way he saved his best tennis for the big points. While it is very early in the piece, the impression is that once he gets more mileage in his legs his ambition of regaining a place in the world’s top 100 will not be beyond him.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal booked a place in the Barcelona Open final by breezing past David Goffin 6-4, 6-0 with his 18th successive claycourt win and 400th overall on the surface. World No 1 Nadal will meet Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas in today’s showpiece.