n the lead-up to the French Open, Dan Evans was venting his frustration on the method during which British tennis is being run.
On courtroom on Sunday, his frustrations have been as a substitute reserved for himself in a completely winnable opening-round match which he misplaced in straight units 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to Thanasi Kokkinakis.
For the second straight Grand Slam, Kokkinakis was drawn in opposition to a Briton early on. On the Australian Open, he misplaced out in a five-set marathon to Andy Murray, in opposition to Evans at Roland Garros he was a deserving winner.
The scoreline was maybe a tad harsh on the British No2, who did little unsuitable within the first set and led 4-1 within the second earlier than his Australian opponent put collectively a sequence of 5 straight video games gained to seal the set.
It left Evans remonstrating with himself, these in his field and the umpire for a foot fault when a break up and main 4-2 in that set.
That proved key, so too an epic 10-minute recreation within the ninth, which might have gone both means. In the long run, it went in opposition to the No20 seed, leaving him a mountain to climb, which he couldn’t.
There was a lot head shaking and self-flagellation when he was damaged in recreation 5 of the third set. He managed to drive his means again into it, a uncommon Kokkinakis double fault giving him the break again and levelling the scores at 4-4.
However it was solely a brief reprieve, Evans was damaged the very subsequent recreation from which there was no coming again. It meant Kokkinakis sailed via to the second spherical and Evans ready to move to the UK for the house comforts of the grasscourt season.
It leaves the singles attracts even barer of British gamers. For the primary time at a Grand Slam since 2009, there aren’t any British girls within the singles regardless of six gamers trying to make their means via qualifying.
And now house hopes relaxation solely on the shoulders of Jack Draper, solely simply again from a hip damage, and Cameron Norrie, who appeared to endure a abdomen concern in his exit from the Lyon Open earlier this week. Each are in motion on Monday.
