Evans’ fortunes on the up again after winning return

Dan Evans (GB) beat Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-3, 7-6, 6-3

The previous two Wimbledon fortnights had been unrelentingly bleak for Dan Evans. In 2017, he was only a few weeks into a drugs ban for taking cocaine and spent the fortnight moping on the sofa. Last year was a little better in that he was at least hitting forehands and backhands, but he was doing so at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, having failed to qualify for Wimbledon.

Yesterday, with the sun shining at SW19, Evans could smile at his dramatic change of fortune – as he reeled off a comprehensive 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Federico Delbonis to reach the second round. It was Evans’s first main-draw match at Wimbledon since a thirdround defeat by Roger Federer in 2016, and continues an excellent grass-court season which has already taken in two second-tier Challenger titles.

“Obviously, I’ve been away for a little bit from my own doing, so it’s good to be back,” Evans said, with typical understatement.

“I let a lot of people down. I had to probably get back for them. Let’s be honest, what else am I going to do?” He then added with a smile: “Got to earn money somehow.”

Evans’s opponent in tomorrow’s second round looked for a long while like being his compatriot James Ward. But Ward, 32, let a two-set lead slip in losing 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 to Nikoloz Basilashvili, the 18th seed from Georgia.

Another British player, wild card Paul Jubb, also fell at the first hurdle. The 19-year-old from Hull was beaten by world No69 Joao Sousa in four sets 0-6, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6.

Jubb is the first Briton to lift America’s National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s title.