ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2021

Daniel Evans

Press Conference

M. KECMANOVIC/D. Evans

1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Such a good start. Did you feel that he lifted it a lot after that or did you let him back in a little bit? How did you see the change?

DANIEL EVANS: I think he played pretty well at the start of the second. Played a good game to get in front. He was standing on top of the baseline returning, so it was difficult. I thought he returned well. That put my serve under a lot of pressure. And I'm not sure the stats, but the first serves in couldn't have been good. I didn't feel great on that. And that's that, isn't it?

It's disappointing again. It's hard to take. I felt good coming in, playing some good tennis. That's the nature of the game, isn't it? You know, you're out of the tournament before it's literally started.

So it's a dire end to a decent clay season. And, you know, I've got to dust myself off and go again. I'll take a few days to get, you know -- difficult, you know, really, to take.

Just the way it played out. You know, essentially I was outplayed and that's probably not what I want to be hearing or happening on the court, you know.

Q. You played a lot of serve and volleys throughout the match. Did you feel that was your best chance of getting back into things?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I felt he was playing good from the back. I felt he was pretty aggressive. He was moving the ball around well.

You know, that's obviously my change-up. When you're not serving it's only volley, isn't it? It's not good.

You know, I fought hard. I can give myself credit for that. But, you know, it's becoming a bit too common being breaks up in Grand Slam sets and not putting them away. It's frustrating. You know, I've got to look at myself and my game and see what's happening.

Q. Compared to the other majors, the other slams, why doesn't it seem to work for you here at Roland Garros?

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, I wouldn't say it doesn't work for me. It's just, you know, Miomir is a good player. Last year was okay. Time before was Robredo. These are good tennis players, I think. Or Verdasco, whoever it was. You know, they're not -- in all due respect, I'm not pulling out a guy who's 250 in the world just scraping through quallies. I'm pulling out good tennis players.

I think Miomir is, I think he's won a clay title. There is no gimmes on the tour, and this is why you've got to perform. That's why it's such a tough sport. It's day in, day out. And I didn't today.

You know, I prepared as well as I could. You know, I've got a great coach, great fitness trainer, and that's all I can keep doing. You know, to sit here and say it doesn't work, it would be if I'm coming here and not preparing. But that's what probably hurts a bit more is that I prepared as good as I did, I've worked hard, I've tried my best to come out and win the match, and I just didn't do it.

So that's what probably, you know, it will take however long to -- that's the hardest part, to go back and look yourself in the mirror and not good enough, you know. It's a difficult thing to, there is no kind of sugarcoat it. It wasn't good enough and he was better.

It's not that it doesn't work for me here. They've just been better than me, and that's the facts.

Q. Quite difficult to tell from a distance, but was there somebody in the crowd troubling you in the first or second set? There seemed to be a few kind of interchanges there.

DANIEL EVANS: No, just the normal, you know, letting in middle-of-the-game stuff, not on the changeovers. That was all.

Q. In the atmosphere like that when there are fewer people, is it actually more distracting because you can hear everything that is going on and see the movement rather than if it was like a full house?

DANIEL EVANS: No, I mean, to be honest with you, it was great to have fans back. It was a great atmosphere. I didn't think that many French people cared about my tennis, so that was nice (smiling) or supporting me. I guess that's my positive from the day.

You know, it wasn't so much that it wasn't busy. It was just it was in my eye line two or three times, which is a bit frustrating.

Q. I know you have just come off court here, but how much are you looking forward to getting on the grass? Might you add another tournament to your schedule potentially?

DANIEL EVANS: Not right now. You know, I felt I had a good chance to do well here. I felt good coming in, really good schedule leading in. I worked well, playing well. To be honest with you, you know, obviously I'm not stupid. I understand that the grass is just round the corner, and I thought I would be -- it wouldn't be so bad when I left here.

But, you know, it's difficult. You know, I fancied myself, I put a lot of onus on myself to do well. And in that match I didn't perform and that's disappointing, yeah.

Q. As you look ahead to going back home, to going back to Wimbledon, can you talk about what you think it's going to be like for particularly you among the British players but really everybody as they revisit sort of the most storied tournament in the history of the game after that long layoff?

DANIEL EVANS: It will be Wimbledon like we've never known it before. You know, I think they will do a good job. I think it will be special, as per usual.

It's obviously an amazing place to play tennis. But, you know, my sort of overriding feeling will be it will be very different to what we know. Until we get there and see, you know, it would probably better to answer that then.

But, you know, it would be amazing to get back on the grass. I'm not sure how many fans were here today, but that was pretty good atmosphere and it was nice to see them back. If Wimbledon has the same sort of, you know, percentage of the normality, then if that will be, it will definitely be a good tournament. I'm sure it will be nice for the fans as well to get back in. Just as much as we love it, they love Wimbledon as well. I think it will be a great event. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Was it a coincidence that the umpire gave you a delay of game which seemed a little surprising at the time and you lost your serve for the first time? Did it knock you off your rhythm at all?

DANIEL EVANS: I didn't know I got delay of game, to be honest. I didn't know that.

Q. Maybe I misunderstood. There was something at the start of your first service game second set. They thought on TV they had given you a time warning or whatever. No?

DANIEL EVANS: Wouldn't be the first time there's been bad commentary on television.

Q. When we spoke to you a couple of months ago at Roland Garros, I know you were frustrated by the balls and you famously said that some of them were so bad you wouldn't let your pet dog to chew on. I was wondering just in terms of today's game, was there anything that particularly frustrated you in terms of one aspect of your game that wasn't as good as it could have been or things in and around the court? Can you pinpoint that one thing?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, just my serve. You know, if I serve like that on the grass, we'll be having this conversation, you know, probably on the first Monday or second or first Tuesday, whatever. You know, hopefully we're not having this conversation again for a little while.

You know, if I serve like that, it's gonna be a very difficult time on the grass, yeah.

Q. I can tell you're feeling it now. What's the process for analyzing your performance and then bouncing back to play better for the next time?

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, I've got to concentrate on not ruining anyone else's day for the rest of this day. I mean, yeah, I'm pretty angry. And yeah, you know, it's frustrating, you know, to just come and, you know, play like this.

It's disappointing. But, you know, it's happened before and probably happen again. You know, got to put it out of my mind and get going again. Once I get back to England, maybe a few days and hopefully get on the grass. I'm not sure what the weather is like back home, so it's hopefully some good, decent forecast and I can get on the grass and decide what my schedule looks like really, yeah.

Q. The weather is gorgeous. I'll give you that today. I know you have just come off court. Do you know your schedule? Will you take a couple days off and go straight on to the grass for practice? As a general thought, what are your opinions on Wimbledon this year and your chances of doing well there?

DANIEL EVANS: I'd guess I'd take three or four days, I hope anyway. That will be something nice. And then, yeah, I mean, did you say the schedule? Yeah?

There's obviously Nottingham in front of Queen's, but then, you know, if I do well a there, bit late into Queen's. I feel I've practiced quite a hell of a lot just lately, so I think I'll have to sit and think about the Nottingham thing. You know, think about entering another bubble with no time outside, that's also not that appealing. Then, you know, I could easy base in Birmingham for a week and then, you know, head down to London.

You know, the schedule, it's not as easy as it used to be. You know, with COVID I could see myself playing Nottingham if COVID wasn't there and there wasn't a bubble, but there is. It's difficult to think really.

The thing with Wimbledon, you know, it's getting past the first round of a Grand Slam right now would be decent.

Q. What are the challenges for players now when they haven't played basically on grass in two years, especially for you going from Roland Garros all this time they have been on clay to suddenly have to make that transition to grass, and, as you say, in the bubble?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it's difficult, isn't it? I mean, I guess it's been a little while. I'm not sure how the courts will be either. You know, they are quite lush normally at the start.

Yeah, I mean, the challenges will be for everyone. I mean, the same, I guess I'll get a little extra time on them. You know, hopefully something good comes out of this week, it would be a bit more time on the grass and I'll be a bit better prepared for Queen's and Wimbledon.