Evans blasts ‘ludicrous’ Jamie claims
Dan Evans has launched a withering response to Jamie Murray’s suggestion that Britain’s doubles players and their main coach are under-appreciated.
The British no 3 singles player is incensed by the idea that doubles specialists should be treated with similar respect to those who ply their trade solo.
The outspoken Midlander also gave a stinging riposte to Murray’s call for his coach Louis Cayer to be made performance director or similar at the Lawn Tennis association.
‘Who exactly has Louis Cayer ever coached apart from doubles players? Why would British tennis allow him to take charge? It’s a ludicrous comment,’ said Evans.
‘Jamie thinks we should be celebrating six pairs inside the main draw of a Grand slam? so we are celebrating people who didn’t make it at singles and people who didn’t have the attitude to work hard enough to make it in the singles game.
‘I like the doubles guys and they’ve done well but to think we should celebrate this so the kids growing up look up to this as a huge achievement is completely wrong. Kids want to be in the second round of main draw singles events not doubles.
‘We are the only country in the world to have a doubles coach travelling round paid for by the federation at the Grand slams. They also receive medical and sports science help so saying they aren’t appreciated simply isn’t correct.’
What appears to have drawn the ire of Evans are Murray’s comments about the relative success of Britain’s male doubles players. six made the second round of the australian Open, and there are currently seven ranked 55th or better on the ATP listings.
‘You’ve got three people in the second round but we’ve got I think six different doubles teams in the second round and I think that’s important,’ the 32-year-old scot had said.
‘I think the LTA should celebrate more the success of the doubles because that’s the thing they’ve clearly got to be most proud about. We’ve got the most in terms of numbers. But that wouldn’t be talked about unless I said something.’
The mild mannered Murray’s intention may have been to talk doubles up rather than run singles down but the row will cause a headache for Davis Cup captain Leon smith.
In the next 12 months he has two major team competitions to prepare for — the revamped Davis Cup and the new ATP Cup. Given Evans’ trajectory and the expected absence of andy Murray, he and Jamie will be in the squad together.
It has been an unusually fractious week in British tennis since andy Murray asserted that the LTA have failed to build on his legacy.
Evans won four matches at the australian Open to come through qualifying and make the second round before losing to Roger Federer. since coming back from his cocaine ban in april he has been battling to rebuild his ranking. He clearly disagrees with Murray about the rightful place of doubles and also suspects the LTA are focusing on the two-player code to try to mitigate for its failure to manufacture a consistent production line of successful singles players.
The status of doubles in modern tennis is difficult to assess. Undoubtedly popular with fans and recreational players, it does require specialist skills. But the best singles players tend not to participate and many of the top experts are into their mid-30s or older.
as for Cayer, he works in a niche area but there is little question that he is an outstanding doubles specialist coach who Murray credits for taking his career to the heights he has enjoyed. His track record is not, however, the same in singles.