AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2022

Dan Evans

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/D. Evans

6-4, 6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Obviously not result you were hoping for, how are you feeling after the match?

DAN EVANS: Yeah, I mean yeah, I wasn't in the match to feel anything, to be honest, just, yeah, it was pretty one way. I had a chance and then it was a small chance at 4-All and then, yeah, I couldn't find my game. And, yeah, it's difficult. Obviously I'm not making excuses but it wasn't easy to have a walkover and I sort of lost my momentum a little bit and I never had that before, two days off and, yeah, it was difficult.

I thought about the match quite a lot and, yeah, probably overthought it. So, yeah, and to be honest, he was obviously way better than me as well. But I think I didn't really play my game or no, didn't get my game on court, yeah.

Q. First set was pretty weird with the music coming over the background. What was that like?

DAN EVANS: No, I mean I don't know what that was, but I actually, they should have kept it on, I played better with it on. (Smiling).

No, I mean it was, yeah, it was probably the best part of the match, listening to that, I think "Rocket Man" by Elton John, yeah.

Q. What was the low point and what was the worst song they played? "Let It Be"?

DAN EVANS: Yeah, there was some bad notes being knocked out, but, no, yeah, it wasn't my best day and just one to put away. They're playing tonight so probably, yeah, if I make it to 11:30 that is.

Q. The walkover, did that kind of make you lose your rhythm?

DAN EVANS: I think, to be honest, I obviously found out and was pretty like, well, this is good. And then I had so much time, like I didn't really know, it's never happened to me before. To the top guys, you know, save the legs, that's good news. But then they have been doing that for years, you know, third rounds, fourth rounds, it's nothing to them. Where I've, I don't know, I just felt it was very different today. And I'm not putting it down to the walkover, I just definitely felt a bit out of sorts on the court.

Yeah, I mean, listen, you guys have watched enough tennis, I panicked on the court, it was total, I missed my chance and I panicked a bit and that happens in tennis. I'm not going to sit here and say he was too good. I panicked and I felt that.

So it's just another chance to learn from that situation and next time maybe go out and look at the court before I play, see what it's like. I was obviously, not playing the two days before, I had not seen any crowds, I had been in the locker room, I had been just around the place and then I sort of walked out and it was like, I mean, maybe I made a little mistake there. But it was, that's part of tennis, you got to deal with it and he dealt with it way better.

Q. Did those two break points that kind of got into your head because you were seemed like you had some sort of parity, you were putting him in awkward positions, he was missing some forehands.

DAN EVANS: Yeah, I felt, I just never felt like there was a rhythm to the match. And then I had that chance and sort of snatched at it early and that sort of it was like, well what has that happened? I never really hit that shot often anyway, inside/in on a big point, or not very early in a big point. I think I hit it in the third ball of the point where it was like, you know, it was a bit out of sorts. But, you know, I have habit to do that and it was just, my decision making wasn't what it should be.

Q. You played Felix obviously a year ago here and he's had some really good results since then. Do you feel like he's kind of stepped up his level?

DAN EVANS: He played well when he was in front. He's a good front runner. He took his chance, you know, that was the big thing, he took his chance when he got it and as I said last answer, I didn't take my chance. Who knows, if I took the chance it might have settled me down a bit and felt a bit more comfortable, but I didn't and that's all credit to him. He got out of his game at 5-4 and I didn't get out of my game.

Q. You said you were kind of over thinking. What were you thinking about like during that time, was it like tactics playing him, was it just generally like winning or losing the match?

DAN EVANS: Well I only, you know, I thought Felix would win his previous round and, you know, I just had a lot of time to probably not put pressure on myself but, hey, I thought I've got a decent chance to win that match and probably thought a bit too much about him rather than looking after myself, my own game.

And again it's something I can learn on. I'm playing good tennis, that's not the issue, I think it's just getting to those situations, albeit it was a little funny situation, need to, you know, to try and, today's about winning, not how you play and I couldn't turn it round from playing badly to take my chance in the first set.

Listen, if I took the chance and I not served it out it's one set, it's a five-set match. It would have put me in a good position.

Q. On that unexpected day where you're not playing a match what did you do in terms of practice? Did you not practice or try to practice more?

DAN EVANS: Well I practiced to warm up for the match and then I went for an hour after later on in the day. Yeah, I mean just sort of hit enough balls and, yeah, it might not have been to do with having the day off, it could have been I put, I thought I had a good chance to win the match and that can make people react in funny ways. I was a little nervous before the match and when I had the chance I didn't take it.

Q. What's next now? Where do you think you'll be playing next?

DAN EVANS: I'll play Doha and Dubai. I'll go practice, take a bit of time now, yeah, go practice. I can get better still, yeah, work on fitness. I got a bit of time where no tournaments coming up, I can really get into that for a bit. It's a long year. It's been, you know, it's not like I should be worried about what's happened. I started the year well, I've had some good wins, had real momentum going into the match and one match is one match, I got to forget about it would be another mistake if I keep worrying about that match what's just happened so it's just time to park it and move on and Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, they're all big tournaments and move on to my favorite surface.

Q. I know you've just lost and that's sort of difficult but I wonder how you would reflect on your whole swing in Australia. You've had some really good wins and you've played really well at times.

DAN EVANS: Yeah, I mean ATP Cup definitely it was a great week, a highlight to spend it with all the guys and have some fun. It was a great lead-up to this week where you got to really get down and get your job done and it's been good, a great swing, always enjoy it regardless how I do. Yeah, I've got good momentum moving forward and if I use the time right now in Dubai and get in good shape, practice hard, there's two very good tournaments in the Middle East and then on to Indian Wells, Miami, which you want to be make sure you're in good shape heading out there. It will be very hot, slow courts, so it's a good opportunity, yeah.

Q. What's your goals and targets for the rest of this year and is recapturing the British No. 1 men one of those?

DAN EVANS: No, I mean, I just, listen, I said it last year, the year before, staying on court is the most important thing for me, make sure I'm fit to compete the week in, week out.

Yeah, I think, yeah, the British No. 1 thing, listen, Cam Norrie is No. 12 in the world, that's a better achievement than being British No. 1. I'm 20 whatever in the world, you know, it's not a thing for me, it's to keep improving, to make sure all the guys and girls are getting a good enough chance in those tournaments where you guys have all sat here, you know, next week where we're all doing well rather than just one of us would be amazing. And, you know, as you guys obviously see and where Andy is here the latter end, Emma was there, obviously, that's what would be good.

I mean, I'm not so bothered about all the other stuff, it's just to last longer at these tournaments is what it's about, they're important, the 250s and 500s, but the Masters Series and here as Cam showed, he won one and he's shot right up the rankings and that's where you get the big points on.

Q. It was nice to see Andy and Joe in your box today as well and you mentioned the camaraderie of the ATP Cup and it seems like it's a real team, like it's not always been the case in team tennis that when people come together has been a real team. How important is it to you to have that kind of camaraderie at big events as well as at the team events, to have a team of Brits kind of on tour, if you like?

DAN EVANS: Yeah, it's a nice gesture that they come out. They're probably regretting wasting two hours of their time now, and they will probably let me know (smiling.) So it's good.

As I said in my previous answer, the more Brits who are here, to me that's a success that if there's five, six, seven, 10 Brits, singles or doubles, the more it is, you know, like I think Lloyd played doubles, Jonny O'Mara, there's a lot of people with a British flag next to their name and that's what we want, isn't it? Especially in qualies and that's, for me, it's good if there's more people here. And, yeah, you know, you're not going to eat dinner every night and no one gets on every day, like people fall out, but still it's great and thankful for them to come in.