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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2017

Daniel Evans

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

J. TSONGA/D. Evans

6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A lot of us were watching Murray on the other court. We came back to see what we could of yours. How would you assess your performance?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, he was just a bit too strong for me. Yeah, I played pretty well. I was pretty sore. Yeah, he was so physical today. To win the first set took too much out of me. Long game at the start of the second set. I got broke. Yeah, it was uphill from there.

I fought as hard as I could. Yeah, just got to say 'well done' to him.

Q. Best week of your life in tennis?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, definitely, it has. It's been the most exciting, as well. Probably won't happen again. It's been pretty cool actually, yeah.

Q. Why do you say it won't happen again?
DANIEL EVANS: Well, if I make fourth round again... It was out of the blue how I did it. I'm not saying I can't make fourth round again, yeah.

Q. Would you say that Tsonga has a bigger game, hits the ball harder than Cilic?
DANIEL EVANS: They're just different. He's really physical, gets to every ball. Marin sort of plays and then hits both sides. Tsonga only really just launches himself round his forehand, just smashes it by me pretty much.

Q. Any kind of psychological hangover from winning two matches?
DANIEL EVANS: No, I felt pretty good mentally. Yeah, I thought I sort of got over the hangover of last week, the quick turnover and stuff. I was pretty good mentally, I thought.

Yeah, no, it's just time to chill out a bit for a few days, not see a tennis ball for a little bit.

Q. What is your plan now for the next two weeks?
DANIEL EVANS: I'm going home. So I go home tomorrow. Then, yeah, relax for a bit. I'll fly to Canada on Saturday for Davis Cup.

Q. Saw your dad here.
DANIEL EVANS: He's been here since last Friday or Saturday, I think. Well, one of the days. I can't remember which day he arrived. Yeah, he's been here.

Q. Your ranking will be high enough to get into Indian Wells, Miami now. Quite an exciting time, these next few months.
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, to be honest, I was a bit worried about the start of the year. I just needed to get some points on the board pretty quickly. I have a lot coming off. It was a goal to be in Miami and Indian Wells. Obviously I've done that now. It's a bit of a weight off my shoulders. It's good.

Q. Saw you had a sponsor logo on your first shirt, not on the later. Just a couple of shirts with it on?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, The Times were kind enough to sponsor me. Obviously Virgin Active. Thanks to them. I actually had only three shirts with the embroidery on it. I didn't think it was going to be that hot today. They only gave me three at that point, yeah.

Q. The whole experience of the last two weeks, Sydney, here, people getting quite excited, all the business with the shirts, has that been a bit surreal?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, to be honest, I just want to go home now. Yeah, just sort of hide away for a bit. Be good. Sit in the house, chill out. See everyone back home.

Yeah, it will be good to just go home actually. I've been away since the 26th now. Seems like I haven't been home for a while.

Q. Is there anything you'll take away from this as a particular highlight?
DANIEL EVANS: I don't know actually. Probably KP inboxing me. Wondering what is going to happen to his image. That's probably the only reason he did it (smiling).

Obviously, the Cilic match was really a good one. The atmosphere was really good in that match. It sort of makes it a bit special. It was at night. I think walking off the court on the Cilic match with all the crowd, after that it was pretty cool.

Q. Has this given you a real belief that you can now compete with the top players on a regular basis?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I mean, it does. I need to maybe get a bit fitter so I can last out those matches. I think today I was a bit -- I was flagging pretty much after the first set. I did feel that. My body was sore. Maybe that's something I can improve on a bit.

But, you know, I've still come a long ways from where I was last year, I think.

Q. Did KP drop you a message and invite you last night?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah. I was going anyway, but he just give us the tickets. It was a good match actually.

Q. Did you see him?
DANIEL EVANS: No, no, no.

Q. Has he redeemed himself at all in your eyes?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it's all cool. It's fine (smiling).

Q. What are you looking forward to most about going home?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, actually, quite a bit. I haven't seen, obviously, anyone since Christmas. I'm not looking forward to the weather at all.

It will be just good to see everybody, I guess. Yeah, I mean, I haven't seen my mum for a while. Actually didn't see her over Christmas because I was away. Yeah, it will be good. Good to see everyone. That's pretty much it, yeah.

Q. Assuming Andy plays in Ottawa, do you feel that what you've done here has done enough to put you in there as the second singles player?
DANIEL EVANS: I don't know. I mean, I don't know. It's entirely up to Leon, isn't it? Kedders, he had an amazing back end to the last year. It's a good situation for us both to be in if Andy plays. I'm guessing that's a pretty large 'if'.

Q. The prize money, do you look back at the last two weeks and think it's come in quite handy, or are you past that stage where you don't think about it?
DANIEL EVANS: No, of course it comes in handy. Geez.

Yeah, it's great, isn't it, to obviously have that sort of prize money. Like I always say, I don't ever think about the money on court. Don't ever think about the points on court. It's just competing on the court.

Obviously that's an added bonus, going home with quite a bit. Yeah, it's pretty good.

Q. With your ranking where it is now, you're probably not going to be playing challengers much in the near future, which is a challenge of its own because you don't want to have runs of playing top players all the time. Do you think you're prepared for that, playing ATP tournaments now all the way through?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I mean, playing those guys can only -- I think last week proved playing the good guys, then coming here, it improves your game massively. It does for me.

To be honest, I'm looking forward to the whole year playing those tournaments week in, week out. It's what I wanted to do.

I don't plan on dropping down to play in any challengers. Stay up there and see what I can do.

Q. Is part of that the buzz you get out of it, as well? It's more exciting?
DANIEL EVANS: It's just better, isn't it, to test yourself against those guys. I played some great players this week on some good courts. That's the main reason I play tennis, is to get that sort of buzz. Yeah, nothing else can give us that, so...

Q. Do you think they'll know a bit more about you as well?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, obviously.

Q. What are you going to do during the clay court season?
DANIEL EVANS: Are you saying I'm not good on clay?

Q. I'm just asking you a question.
DANIEL EVANS: I think I have to play the clay, don't I? Actually, it's ranking. You should know that, Barry.

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