The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Evans giving young opponent respect
Briton faces 17-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov
Britain’s Dan Evans must try to quell the fearlessness of youth after opponents Canada put their faith in 17-year-old Denis Shapovalov for this weekend’s Davis Cup clash.
The Wimbledon junior champion will open the tie against Evans at Ottawa’s Arena at TD Place today in his first ever live rubber.
The boot is on the other foot for Evans, playing in his first tie as British number one in the the absence of Andy Murray.
The 26-year-old has frequently been the lower-ranked wild card trying to upset the odds, but must cope with the extra pressure and expectation his elevation into the world’s top 50 brings.
He knows what an exciting talent Shapovalov is, having faced him at a second-tier Challenger tournament last year, winning in three sets.
The young Canadian went on to post a statement win over Nick Kyrgios at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last summer and has already claimed a top-10 scalp this year in France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
“It was a good match,” Evans said of their first meeting.
“He played pretty well and I won in three tight sets.
“It will be a good match (on Friday). He has quite a big game, he likes to be aggressive and dictate the play. I have to try and get on top of him rather than him being aggressive.
“In Davis Cup there’s always some upsets so I have to respect Denis (on Friday) and go out and give it my all.”
As happens all too frequently in the Davis Cup at the moment, the tie is a case of what might have been.
Novak Djokovic is the only top-10 player taking part in this weekend’s ties and, instead of a top-three clash between Murray and Milos Raonic, the likes of Evans, Shapovalov, Kyle Edmund and Vasek Pospisil will take centre stage.
The rankings favour Leon Smith’s visitors, with Evans and Edmund at 45 and 47 respectively compared to 234 for Shapovalov and 133 for Pospisil.
Canada captain Martin Laurendeau drafted Peter Polansky – at 128 the highest-ranked player available to him – into the team when Raonic pulled out through injury but has stuck with Shapovalov.
The draw has pitted Pospisil against Edmund in the second rubber today while tomorrow’s doubles will see Pospisil and 44-year-old Daniel Nestor take on Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot.