QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

March 10, 2021

Daniel Evans

Press Conference

R. FEDERER/D. Evans

7-6, 3-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was a very entertaining match from our end. How did it feel playing? How do you think you gave an account for yourself today?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, obviously had a chance in my first set. Yeah, it was a close match. Obviously played pretty well.

You know, it's a difficult one, isn't it? Yeah, it's just a bit annoying really to be, you know, not so close but, you know, play a good match like that and then get nothing for it. You know, sort of, yeah, it's frustrating.

I didn't think I did too much wrong when I had breakpoints in the third, so it's not -- yeah, it's just pretty frustrating, really. That's probably how I'd sum it up. In a few days I can say I'm in a good spot and go in the right direction, but it's a loss at the end of the day and it doesn't matter who it's to. It's tough to take.

Q. You seemed to be extracting a few shanks from his racquet in the second. Do you think he was tiring a little bit and then maybe found a third wind?

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, I wouldn't say so. I'd say it was blustery out there. Obviously, yeah, on my breakpoint, as well, it was pretty windy. I shanked one.

Yeah, it wasn't easy conditions, although I felt the level of tennis was pretty good. Yeah, I'm not sure if he was tiring. I mean, we have played numerous times for three hours late at night, including tonight, and I hadn't seen him really tire. So I didn't think he was tiring. Maybe he was, but I would say he was -- yeah, I mean, I thought that both were in decent shape and I can only speak for myself obviously.

Q. Given all the practice sets you have played with Federer, what lessons will you take from this experience going forward in your career?

DANIEL EVANS: To be honest with you, I'm not fed up of the lessons. Like it's great to practice with him, but he's beat me and at the end of the day I'm going against him today. It's great to practice with him, but I'm here to win the tournament, just as he is.

He's obviously a great player and whatnot, but he beat me. So I'm not going to look down at the other end and say, Jeez. That's how you go on the court and you've lost the match already. You've got to drop the fact he's Roger for those three hours or two hours, whatever we played for, and, you know, that's my match out there, as well. You know, I've got to try and win that match.

I'm not looking at learning lessons off that. It was just, you know, I didn't get over the line. I think it's a bit negative to look, you know, I played a good match and be, yeah, you know, but it was Roger. No, no, I wasn't good enough today. He beat me and that doesn't matter if it's Roger or Rafa, whoever. I wasn't good enough when it counted in the third set, and that hurts. You know, it's not about learning lessons. You have to realize you lost that match because you didn't take chances.

Q. How did his level compare today to the practice sessions you have been having and the matches you have had in the past?

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, you know, I'm not stupid. You know, I could feel certain parts were not quite there, but it was evident when it got tight he was way more aggressive in the third set.

I actually thought he played his best tennis in the last three, four games, got himself out of trouble in I think 4-All game, was it?

Then when I was 5-4 down he really come at me. Yeah, I felt a lot of pressure from him, from his game, basically the back end of the match, which is where not ideal feeling him playing the best, probably the highest level of the match for him, I thought. Then probably pretty fitting he knitted a backhand down the line to win it.

Yeah, I'd say it's clear he had been off, but I think obviously he showed a lot of glimpses of why he's so good.

Q. If I could ask you to sort of step outside the idea of being a competitor facing Federer today and look at maybe the bigger picture of why it's a good thing, if it is, for him to be back on court after being away for a year? Why for the game, for the tour, for the sport, it's good to have Federer out there competing again?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, of course. Obviously I think for the tour, for tickets to be sold whenever he is at a tournament, you know, it goes without saying there is more interest in the tournament.

I guess personally for him he's obviously way happier to be on tour than sat at home. I think he obviously said his story is not finished yet, and, you know, it's going to be -- yeah, from a fan's point of view, it's going to be interesting to see how he goes at his age, you know, he's 39, and that's obviously unheard of that someone is still competing for Grand Slams at that age.

It's going to be real good to watch for everybody, to see what happens, see if he wins. I think most people would hope he wins another probably Wimbledon, but depends what it is. You know, we'd all be pretty pumped if he got over the line at another slam, yeah.

Q. Given that you broke through quite later in your career, I was wondering, when did you start to feel like you belonged at this level and that you have come to win these matches and not just gain experience or whatever, like when did that kind of change for you?

DANIEL EVANS: I think I'm not sure when, but when you get on tour, you want to be, once you have established yourself in the rankings for a little while and you've been there, you need to, you know, not expect to win the match -- all the matches on tour are tough -- but, you know, I think it would be fair to say, you know, British people are pretty, you know, like happy to play a good match.

That's what's frustrating tonight is that, you know, didn't quite get over the line. It was a good match, but at the end of the day, it's a loss, you know. That's what personally frustrates me when I hear, you know, You played a good match. It's good but you need to win the match.

It's difficult to do, but you want to try to go over the line in those matches. If it doesn't hurt, I think -- if it hurts, I think it's a strength that you can come back out and that you'll serve yourself better for when you go into the next one.

Q. When you were in here yesterday, I kind of came away with the impression that you sort of thought you knew how the match was going to go. Did it unfold the way you thought? I thought you took him on more in the baseline in terms of power than I was maybe expecting.

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I mean, obviously put a game plan together. I thought if you spend so much time practicing with someone, without sounding not rude, but he would probably know me better than most playing so many sets and stuff against me, so I thought I had a bit better chance because I had seen quite a lot more of him and just faced his ball a lot more.

I was a bit more comfortable, whereas in previous matches, I felt like he shocked me a bit with spin, power.

I did feel a bit more comfortable, but, you know, still it's tough to put to the side. You do have a little thing in your head which, you know, like if you go there or not enough it's going to come back by you because it's him. That's the same with all the top guys. If it's not on the money, it's a problem.

Yeah, I fancy myself a bit more, playing a bit more patiently, not rushing to win the points, but he's also pretty tough to knock off the baseline because he stands so close. On my serve, as you saw in the middle of the first and a bit in the last set, when I'm not making first serves, he really pressures you, and it doesn't get easier when a guy is coming at you on your second serve, but I could feel it might happen, so little things.

It did give me a bit more confidence going into the match, but, you know, as you said yesterday, it's not easy to sit here and say I can go tomorrow with a good shot, because if I don't get my game on the court, it's straight sets.

You know, I played well, gave myself a good chance, but it's just unfortunate at the end, he played some good stuff and I didn't really, yeah.

Q. Given what you have already achieved this year and the way you have been performing the last couple of years, what are your hopes for the Grand Slams this year? Is that where you really are focusing?

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, yeah and no. I mean, these tournaments, you know, the 250s can really get my ranking up if I do well. You know, I'm focusing week to week really.

You know, I think I'm in a better place to -- physically I'm in good shape. So I think to play a 250 this week, then a 500 and a Masters, that's a good schedule. So there is good offerings out here.

But it's just you do need to win probably three matches to start moving a bit, and that's, as you know, it's difficult out here. You know, I want to do well in the Grand Slams, but this is where you keep your ranking going and you get confident from these weeks to get through in the Grand Slams, you know.