Dan Evans ready for a crack at Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon second round
Evans won the battle of Britain against fellow wild card Jay Clarke 6-1 7-5 6-2 to claim his first victory in SW19 since 2021.
His reward is a second career meeting with 24-time grand slam champion Djokovic – four years after he won their first in Monte Carlo.
'I think when they do the stats, it has to be over three matches to have a 100 per cent record, so we'll say I have a decent record,' smiled Evans.
'But five sets are a lot different to three sets, albeit it was a big tournament.'
Now 35, Evans says he is too long in the tooth to be overawed by another of the oldest swingers in town, 38-year-old Djokovic.
'I mean, there is no better place to do it than here,' he added. 'I've said all along, I would love one more.
'I had some fourth rounds, but my goal was to make the quarters of a grand slam. You don't always reach your goals, but I still believe I have a shot.
'This is his best surface, I imagine. It's going to be a tough match. But when I play the top guys, I don't change much about myself. It's not about them, it's about me. We're both competing for the same goal.
'I've got a lot of respect for Novak. He's a great champion. He's done wonders for the game. He's done pretty much everything in the game.
'But it's also my chance to win the match. I have to be competitive, I have to play my game, I have to be myself. I can't go into my shell and have too much respect.
'Of course I'm lucky I've been inside the top 50 for X amount of years before that, and I got the experience to play on the big courts.
'Yeah, I am a wild card, but I don't feel like I'm a wild card playing Novak. I still feel my level's really good.'
Evans has endured a tough year on the court having slipped down the rankings to outside the top 150.
A calf injury curtailed his season last year and he spoke emotionally earlier in the week about starting to wonder whether the hard work he puts in every day is still worth it.
'Yeah, it's not that easy,' he added. 'The body obviously is getting older, as am I.
'I try the best with the team I have to be able to practice each day. It's not like this is the end product when you come to the tournament.
'You can't miss sessions because you just won't be good enough to win at these tournaments. You have to do the day in, day out stuff.
'Of course it gets harder. Things change a little, as well, in your training. But the last two, three months I've done a good job of it.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
.jpeg%3Ftrim%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Would Jake Paul stand a chance against Anthony Joshua?
Anthony Joshua is on the hunt for an opponent to begin his comeback after a devastating knockout defeat against Daniel Dubois last year, and among the names being circulated is Jake Paul. After his points victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Paul has been calling out Joshua – believing he has what it takes to beat the Brit. Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, has admitted that they are open to discussions with Jake Paul. Hearn told iFL TV: 'We are planning life without Jake Paul, but if that is for real, of course, we take that fight in a heartbeat.' Paul's manager, Nakisa Bidarian, has since told Sky Sports that they are 'actively discussing it with Matchroom.' If this fight gets made, it will be a tall order for the Ohio native to be competitive against a two-time unified heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist, but could he actually pull it off? Here is the breakdown of all the key factors to consider. Height and reach Should the two ever meet, the starkest difference between them would be the enormous five-inch height discrepancy paired with a six-inch reach difference. 'AJ' stands at a towering 6'6' compared to Paul at 6'1'. This presents a well-documented set of problems. To be able to have any success over a man of Joshua's skill and size, Paul must be able to get himself close enough to land. Because of his amateur pedigree, Joshua has well-schooled footwork and a long, sharp jab, which, if Paul cannot get past, will leave him at the end of a volley of heavy artillery. But this is not a challenge unique to the American; such is the breadth of the heavyweight division, with no weight limit, fighters come in all shapes and sizes. Examples of fighters who have been able to overcome similar height and reach disadvantages are David Haye and Mike Tyson. When David Haye took on Nikolai Valuev in 2009 for the WBA heavyweight title, 'The Hayemaker' gave away nine inches in height to Valuev, who stood at seven feet tall, but he still got his hand raised. Meanwhile, Tyson spent much of his career punching up, standing at only 5'10', but was one of the most destructive champions in heavyweight history. So what is the common denominator for success as the shorter man? Explosiveness. What Tyson and Haye mastered was being able to avoid incoming fire to get in close, then unloading their own heavy combinations before retreating to safety and out of range of their opponents. This is the only way Paul would be able to effectively lay a glove on Joshua - applying smart pressure to keep him on the back foot and explode into range to throw his shots. But as the adage goes…a good big man beats a good small man. Weight Joshua has been consistent in his weight throughout his career, usually tipping the scales between 240 and 250lbs, putting him toward the upper end of the division. Paul usually weighs between 190 and 200lbs as a cruiserweight. But when he fought Mike Tyson, he bulked up to an impressive 228lbs to match the former heavyweight champion. But this steep increase in weight saw Paul perform sluggishly against Tyson and struggle with his endurance, something he cannot afford to do against an athlete like Joshua, who has been conditioned at his weight for well over a decade. If we draw a comparison to Oleksandr Usyk, who holds a similar frame to Paul, the way in which he was able to find success, at his size, against Joshua was with constant upper-body and lateral movement. If Paul can condition himself at 220lbs to be able to maintain that constant motion and work rate, then he might be able to overwhelm Joshua in the early going, but he must be proactive. Experience Experience cannot be substituted – thousands of hours of drilling, sparring, studying and most importantly, fighting all carve an elite level fighter out of the stone of a plucky amateur with dreams of one day holding a world title. This is an insurmountable disadvantage for Paul that would, without a doubt, show if the two were to fight. AJ had a glittering career as an amateur fighter, winning multiple national championships, a silver medal at the world championships and a famous gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Across over 50 fights, Joshua will have had access to the best coaches and sparring partners at the Performance Institute in Sheffield, honing his skills to eventually turn over as a professional. Paul has no amateur background to speak of, having only one white collar fight before becoming a pro and has since accumulated 13 fights, boxing a total of 70 rounds. Joshua is more than double Paul's total in both total fights and rounds. This gives him not just the benefit of more time in the gym, but also more experience with different styles and the ability to stay composed in times of trouble. Recent form Momentum and activity are essential components for a fighter to be able to build confidence and trust their ability to perform. Paul certainly has the benefit of both, coming off a career-best win against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and being undefeated in his last six fights, putting himself in with increasingly staunch opposition. Both of the American's last fights have gone the distance, with Paul walking away as the clear winner, showing a man full of confidence in his ability to see out a contest. A knockout defeat against Daniel Dubois has punctuated a downturn in Joshua's career, started by back-to-back losses to Usyk. Joshua has not beaten a fighter resembling elite level since Andy Ruiz in 2019. It is important to mention that 'confidence' is an intangible asset and cannot be measured, but if Paul enters the ring with the belief to go at the former champion and ignore the obvious physical disadvantages, then he might just stand a chance at being competitive. A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Anthony Joshua teases surprise move into another sport amid Jake Paul showdown talks
Anthony Joshua has taken to social media to make a plea to Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn over a business venture in a different sport. Since turning professional in 2013 Joshua has been attached to the Matchroom banner, a partnership that led to two-time world champion status for the 2012 Olympic gold medallist. Currently sidelined as he recovers from elbow surgery he underwent earlier this year, Joshua appears to be brainstorming ideas for life after boxing, suggesting to Hearn that they tackle football agency together. He posted on his Instagram story: 'Eddie Hearn, the family has conquered darts, snooker, pool, boxing, fishing, golf, owning a football club & you've had a presence in basketball, netball & gymnastics. 'I believe 'we' could look at the football agency industry and have a strong presence. 'Imagine we help manager the player who helped England win the World Cup. 'Call me tomorrow mate.' Eddie Hearn's father, founder of Matchroom Barry Hearn, owned English Football League club Leyton Orient for the best part of two decades, but that is the limit of the family's direct involvement in the sport. However, Matchroom's success across a variety of sports would give them instant authority in the world of football. There has been some overlap with football agencies and promotions in the past, with one of the biggest companies in soccer, Wasserman, buying Team Sauerland and creating Wasserman Boxing in 2021. In May, Joshua confirmed that he was exploring the possibility of buying shares in hometown football club Watford. The Hornets have bounced between the Premier League and Championship over the past 20 years, but whilst Joshua is fond of the club, it appeared to be more of a financial decision. He told Seconds Out: "We wanted to move into private equity, venture capital funds. As you earn, naturally, you want to save. "So rather than me spending recklessly I'm trying to invest money into certain asset classes and that was an opportunity that presented itself. 'Nothing's come of it yet. It's a serious investment. If it comes off it's one that should do well. 'If they went back to the Premier League, then I'd need to get a shop on Market Street because the traffic that would be coming through Watford would be phenomenal. 'If we don't do it then good luck to them anyway because they're a great team." Speculation has surrounded Joshua in recent days, with rumours about his next opponent. Latest Queensberry recruit Tony Yoka is one mooted option, but Jake Paul's camp have claimed that talks with Matchroom have started regarding a potential bout between their fighter and Joshua. DAZN Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Son to leave Tottenham this summer after 10 years
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min says he will leave the club this summer after 10 South Korea international joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and has scored 173 goals in 454 was captain when Tottenham beat Manchester United in the Europa League final in May to clinch their first trophy in 17 33-year-old, who is under contract with Spurs until 2026, has been linked with Major League Soccer side Los Angeles described the decision as "the most difficult one I have made in my career" as he spoke to media alongside new manager Thomas Frank."I came to north London as a kid - a very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn't speak English," Son said."Leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment."Tottenham are currently in Seoul as part of their pre-season preparations, with Son set to play his final game for the club in his home country.
