Aussie cricket ace gives Evans his edge

HAVING won a match involving some Ashes-type sledging, Dan Evans revealed that an Australian cricket legend had helped him reach the fourth round of the US Open.

Evans will face second seed Daniil Medvedev today after his gripping comeback win against Alex Popyrin. During it he was continually ‘chirped’ by some Aussies sitting behind him during changeovers.

‘I think I had Tim Paine behind my chair at every change of end, nattering away,’ joked Evans after making the last 16 at Flushing

Meadows for the first time. A keen student of cricket, he then revealed that he has been tapping the wisdom of another Australian captain, Ricky Ponting.

‘There’s probably a bit of irony in this but I started reading Ponting’s book at the start of this trip. I wasn’t feeling great and it’s been pretty inspirational, motivational. He had some pretty tough times when he was captain. He wrote a lot down the night before on what he wanted to do, how he wanted to go out the next day, really reminded himself.

‘He’s a really tough character, it really helped. In best-of-five sets, being tough is one of the main things you need to be, hanging in.

‘It’s obviously a very different sport, but I just enjoyed it. I took some things from it which I’ll probably use now for the rest of my career.’

The progress of Evans and Emma Raducanu has contributed to a reasonably strong summer for Britain’s elite players. This week also saw three women qualifying and Andy Murray’s remarkable effort in the first round.

While that overall situation has pleased Evans, the GB men’s No1 bluntly shot down the suggestion that, in a highly individual sport, it had contributed to his success this past week.

‘It makes no difference to my life if they’re winning or losing. I haven’t had time to watch their matches but it’s great everybody’s doing well, and obviously Emma is doing unbelievable. But it’s not going to make me win any more matches. I’m happy for those guys. Cam (Norrie) has had a great year, but a tough draw here. What I do take is we’ve got a hell of a strong team for Davis Cup.’

In playing the rampant Medvedev today he has the second least enviable task in tennis after facing Novak Djokovic. Evans will not be looking at it as a ‘nothing to lose’ situation: ‘I don’t really like that sort of terminology or thinking.’

Whatever happens, he has almost certainly guaranteed himself a career-high ranking next week, quite possibly up to No23.