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FEVER-TREE CHAMPIONSHIP

June 17, 2019

Daniel Evans

London, England

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations on Surbiton and Nottingham. Your reflections on winning two titles in essentially a week?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it was obviously two good weeks. Happy with the way I was playing, and, you know, I enjoyed both of the weeks. Perfect two tournaments for me to start the grass court season, really.

Even if I didn't win, it's great preparation for this tournament. I'm happy with how they went, obviously, and hopefully play well tomorrow against Stan.

Q. You hit a pretty high standard of tennis in Delray Beach, a great final which you lost. How does your level there and now compare?
DANIEL EVANS: It's tough, really. Actually played on the clay since then, and I think I have been playing pretty well all the way pretty much since there. I feel as good as I ever have the last few weeks, and I feel the ball's coming out of the racquet pretty good.

Yeah, I'm really happy and confident with my game.

Q. How do you feel today physically? Because I presume that it was quite a taxing week in terms of kind of sitting around in the lounge and having to manage your sort of energy levels.
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it actually helped me quite a bit. We sort of packed the tennis into the end of the week. I'm a bit sore because I fell over yesterday, so my hip and my knee is quite sore. But that's it. I feel pretty good. I don't feel tired or anything, yeah.

Q. Do you always want to keep playing? Do you sometimes need a voice in your ear saying you need a break this week, particularly heading into Wimbledon?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, not this week. Yeah, I don't think that's coming from my coach, anyway (smiling).

No chance of that happening. So, yeah. No, this is such a big tournament, and I feel it would be a waste to take any time off now.

Keep going. If I lose, I lose. It's been a good two weeks. Start again after that. But I feel pretty fresh now and it's another new week.

Q. You must be feeling quite confident to get Stan, bearing in mind the previous two matches, and playing on grass now, as well, which probably suits you more than him?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, but he's obviously a great player. You know, he'll be just as confident as I am going into that match, which I think leads to a pretty good matchup tomorrow when we play. I think it will be a good match to watch, and hopefully I can win.

Q. Are you surprised yourself by how well you have played this year alone?
DANIEL EVANS: I mean, without sounding arrogant, not really. I put in the work, and obviously I won the two back-to-back tournaments. But apart from that, qualified at Australian and won a round, which is not a massive achievement, and the final in Delray is the other big result. So, yeah, it's been a solid year, but there's plenty more.

Q. How high can you go?
DANIEL EVANS: I don't know. To be honest, I'm looking forward to this week. I really enjoy playing Queen's. It's such a good tournament. And then obviously Wimbledon I will look forward to, as well. You know, this is a big week for me. Some big points to be played for here.

Q. You must be as happy with your tennis and everything else as you have been for a very long time, yeah?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah. Yeah, I'm happy with everything. Everything in my life is pretty good. Everything on the tennis court is pretty good. Yeah, I can't complain.

Q. How big a deal is it for you if the tour -- I think you're 34 or something in the race. I think you're quite well ahead of Cam, quite a long way ahead of Kyle. That sort of British No. 1 thing, is that something that occupies you?
DANIEL EVANS: No, not -- not one bit. It might occupy a few of the others, but I'm pretty happy with everyone doing well.

No, there's obviously did Davis Cup and stuff like that, which is, you know, it is what it is, but with that, if someone's No. 1, I think it's best for everyone if, you know, the best players just, we all are doing well and best player gets picked for the No. 2, best for everyone, I think. Yeah, I'm not that bothered who is No. 1, to be honest.

Q. Is it more relaxing, like, compared to last year because you know you have already got your spot at Wimbledon by right? And a year ago this week you played prequalifying, and to think of how far you have come since then, is that quite satisfying?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I mean, I wasn't threatened over getting a wildcard last year or not. It's not something that -- if I get one, I get one, and if I didn't, I didn't. I couldn't change their decision if I got one or not, so I wasn't overly concerned about it.

There was other ways to get in and that's what I had to do last year. This year, as it happens, I'm in on my ranking. So, yeah, it's good to be in on my ranking, and hopefully some of the other Brits can get the wildcards.

Q. Will you miss prequalifying?
DANIEL EVANS: It's a pretty good tournament (smiling). Yeah, it's great. It's great. I think it would be good if -- it would be good if some of those matches were for a wildcard, wouldn't it, into a main draw? That would be the ultimate, I think. It would be really good. The courts there are unbelievable. It's good, good practice.

Q. Andy Murray is looking for a doubles partner next week, potentially Wimbledon. Would you relish that prospect?
DANIEL EVANS: I enjoyed playing with him last time. I never knew that, so that's the first. I haven't been asked. If he asks, obviously I'll play with him.

Q. A no-brainer?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it's a no-brainer. He's such a good tennis player. So, yeah.

Q. Some of the matches couldn't be seen in Nottingham. I think you played the Uni, didn't you?
DANIEL EVANS: Yeah.

Q. What did you make of Draper, who is supposedly one of our more promising young players?
DANIEL EVANS: He was good. Obviously he's not there physically yet. You know, he's sort of tall and, I mean, not sure to say he's weak, but he's got, like, a lot of strengthening to do.

He played well for probably 40 minutes of the match and then went away a bit. But that's normal, I think. He's going to be pretty good.

Yeah, there is quite a few good juniors coming through, I think. We'll see what happens.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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