Dan Evans has achieved his best performance at a grand slam tournament after defeating Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6(2), 7-6(3), in the third round at the Australian Open.
Embarking on the match, the Brit was pushed to his limits by Tomic, who was cheered on by his home crowd throughout. The significance of the occasion was one that triggered nerves for both players. Four breaks of serves occurred in the first six games of the match as momentum constantly changed. Despite the roller coaster encounter, it was Evans who came out on top by dismantling his opponent on route to clinching the first set.
Evans’ first set triumph was a trend that he continued throughout the next two. Utilizing a series of overhead shots and backhand winners, the Brit took advantage of Tomic’s lack of speed on the court on route to the win.
“It was just tough. Bernie (Tomic) is unorthodox, he is tough to play. He plays aggressively and sometimes slows it down. I found it hard at the start. I’m happy to come through these three tight sets, it could have gone either way.” Said Evans.
A significant factor in Evans’ win was his ability to take the ball early and win the point at the net. Throughout the encounter, he approached the net 51 times, winning 40 of them. This tactic equated to 31% of total points won by the Brit.
Sealing the milestone win wasn’t without controversy. As the match approached its climax, play was halted due to the troublesome weather. As confusion erupted about whether or not the roof would be closed, an animated Evans encountered a heated confrontation with the tournament referee.
“I was just focusing on the end goal all the time. It was a little annoying (the rain delay).” He said.
“I think we both handled it pretty well, it didn’t distract (us).”
The turn in fortunes comes as Evans plays the Melbourne tournament in $20 plain T-shirts he found at a local shop. Recently the 26-year-old was informed that clothing manufacturers Nike has opted not to renew their sponsorship contract with him. Since then the Brit reached the Sydney International final followed by his run to the last 16 in the first grand slam tournament of the year.
“I’m happy with the t-shirts, though one shrunk in the wash. I think they look alright though.” He said.
Evans will next play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round.
.@Evo151216 dumps Bernard #Tomic from the #AusOpen! Time for a shirt sponsor? pic.twitter.com/huxVi6GQ9h
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) 20 January 2017
