AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2023

Daniel Evans

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/D. Evans

6-4, 6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference of Daniel Evans. Dan, bad luck today. Can you just take us through what happened out there?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, Andrey was too good. He played some good tennis. I didn't feel I did too much wrong. I had obviously a little chance in the first. Had break point. Yeah, I didn't take it.

He changed his game to how he played me a few times before. He has hit backhand line very well. Yeah, that was it. He was very aggressive and better than me.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Do you think he could go quite a long way? Because it feels like the balls might be good for him.

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah. Listen, I think he's one of the highest seeds left, isn't he? Yeah, I think he could if he sticks to that mentality. Obviously, I was hanging around to try and hopefully he would blow up a bit, but he didn't today. He was solid off the ground. If he plays like that and sticks to that, he has a decent chance. He has a nice bit of the draw.

Q. He said before he played that you know exactly how to play to beat him, but from his point of view, is it just a case of not going crazy and not letting you get under his skin? You weren't able to do that today.

DANIEL EVANS: Listen, I'm not stupid. I know it's three out of five. It's a very different match to two out of three. That also gave me a lot of confidence that he'd have to win three. Obviously it didn't work out that way.

What could I do? He was better than me, and that's that. He did what he said he was going to do, and that's all credit to him.

Q. I don't know if you heard his interview afterwards, but he said he had a little bit of a boost when you threw him a banana at the changeover. I wonder what you thought about that, and do you often carry two bananas with you, or is it unusual to have an extra one to give to him?

DANIEL EVANS: They actually asked for four bananas, and I quite like him, so I shared with him. That was about it. They only brought two, so I donate them too so he could have one.

Q. You often talk about playing your tennis to beat these guys and we know how you play, and you know how you play, and he knows how you play. Are you at the stage of your career where your tennis is your tennis, and that's not really going to change, or do you want to be someone who can play a couple of different ways and win those matches a different way?

DANIEL EVANS: I can beat pretty much anyone outside the top 20 playing hanging back and running. There's no one inside the top 10 -- listen, I did a lot of running today, and he was on the front foot, and there's no chance I can win like that.

So I have to come forward. I mean, I think 4-1 in the third, I couldn't remember a volley really. You know, he pushed me back so much, returned well, and frightened me off from serve-volley really.

Before the match obviously having a plan was not to be scared to come forward, but he scared me off, and that's too good from him. That sort of answers your question more is that, you know, I try and do my... But he was just better than me. He kept calm, and that's it really.

It's frustrating, but just have to move on. That's just it, yeah.

Q. Would you have given the banana to somebody you didn't like?

DANIEL EVANS: No, no.

Q. Just on travel plans now, what have you got? Because it's not easy, is it?

DANIEL EVANS: I'm awful on Skyscanner, but I did look a while ago when I was making decisions. Yeah, I won't be going home. It's just too much, I think.

I heard there's a good flight on Wednesday. That's what I heard. Don't make your travel plans on me. I bet you none of you will be there anyway, where the mugs going. You'll all be at home.

Q. You say you got on well with him. Have you ever discussed the Wimbledon ban with him? Has he ever asked you about it, or what do you think might happen? It's still very much up in the air, isn't it?

DANIEL EVANS: Listen, I speak to him about anything but that. You know, obviously it's an unfortunate situation what's happening. It's not something I know too much about, and it's not something I throw in the conversation. You know, he will speak to the ATP and the powers that be about his situation and that's it.

No, I've not spoke about that. But, yeah, you know, the situation is just coming up, isn't it, so people will be finding out pretty shortly what's happening. It goes around so quick, we'll be at Wimbledon before we know it.

Q. Dan, Bogota is I think 2,500 meters above sea level. From your experience in the past, are you quite good at adjusting to that? Have you done it?

DANIEL EVANS: I went to Guadalajara, and it was saying I've played in altitude in Guadalajara, and I was rubbish. Then I asked somebody, Is that similar?

And they was like, No, that's hardly anything compared to... So, I mean, God knows (smiling). It's an experience, I guess.

I think it's important that the best players can get out there and represent your country. You know, you don't know how long you've got. Might not be on the team next year. Some good players coming.

Q. Have you played with pressureless balls before?

DANIEL EVANS: No. No. I mean, it's going to take some getting and that's... and patience, but it's the worst possible draw. Yeah, I think everybody knows that. It's miles away, hardest conditions, and all of their team are pretty good in those conditions.

Q. What is it like to play at altitude a professional match? What does it feel like?

DANIEL EVANS: I can't even remember. I just know I left pretty soon. I lost, and I was out of there. It wasn't -- yeah, I have no idea. We'll find out pretty shortly.

Q. Has Leon actually had a chat with you all about it? From what you say there, it doesn't sound like you've nailed down the preparations exactly in terms of flights and stuff.

DANIEL EVANS: No, no, we've got a fact sheet. We've got everything through, and people are leaving from England at certain times. There's a flight going from England which people are on, and there's an option if you want to stay here and go from here. There's an option of that.

But I don't really know where anybody is. I don't know what Cam is going to do. I don't know where Jack is. I guess he's at home. Obviously, the staff are leaving from London.

So, yeah, it's all nailed on, but it's not as easy as -- people are still in doubles here. It's not as easy as we've got a set plan. You know, we had that issue in Glasgow after US Open. It was obviously close to home, but people had to leave for America.

It's just another challenge, isn't it, where people are coming from and how they get over the jet lag and how they get on.

Q. Can I ask you about the PTPA? You've been on tour a long time, and you know your way around. Did you go to any of the meetings? Are you aware of what they're doing?

DANIEL EVANS: No, there's obviously that -- I don't call it a movement or whatever it is, but I get asked to go. I don't go. Yeah, it seems they're trying to be very serious about it. It's good for them.

Q. Why don't you go?

DANIEL EVANS: I'm aligned with the ATP. I think they do a good job. I'm happy with what I get, and I appreciate what they do for us, and that's simply why I don't go.

I don't think conflict is a good thing in this. We're trying to put men's and women's tennis together, and never mind another organization. I think Andrea Gaudenzi, he's put out a vision, and I think it's pretty good. I listened to it at the ATP meetings, and I think it's pretty good. The numbers look good. Everything looks good to me.

Q. Dan, it's not easy, obviously, but how would you fix the scheduling issues with late-night sessions and stuff if you had an option of all the choices you've got? Like, some people are talking about playing a ten-point tiebreak instead of a fifth set or starting earlier or reducing the afternoon session or all those things?

DANIEL EVANS: We're all experts after the event. What can you do? You play one match, and then someone pulls out, which happens, or they get -- you wouldn't be happy if you just watched my match there, and two hours on the evening, and you want more tennis.

It's a problem with tennis. You don't know how long it's going to be, and it's going to be a problem all the time. You know, we would soon start moaning if they cut night sessions.

And, you know, we sometimes have to put up with it. 4:30, 5:00 is pretty late, yeah.

Q. Is there a way to stop that?

DANIEL EVANS: Some days you get long days, and then yeah, Andy winning in straights would have stopped it (laughing).

Q. Just how do you feel about the Davis Cup being after slams? Would you want that to be different?

DANIEL EVANS: I wouldn't mind the Davis Cup being after slams if it was the old format, but I think -- yeah, I think it's tough we have to play a qualifier when we put up a venue at the end of the year, and then I'm sure we'll be putting up another venue the end of this year. I don't know. It doesn't make much sense to me.