BNP PARIBAS OPEN

October 9, 2021

Daniel Evans

Press Conference

D. EVANS/K. Nishikori

4-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Kei is a player who has got the better of you a few times. How satisfying is it to come from a set down and win?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it was a good match. Yeah, it was satisfying to how I dealt with a bit of adversity after the first set and missed a few chances to get up, so it was nice to come through in a good, tough match.

Q. Can you tell us about the conditions out there? They looked pretty toasty.

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it was warm, you know, high-bouncing court. Yeah, it was not easy. You know, it was very dry obviously in the desert, so it was, like I said, it was good, tough match.

You know, I was physically in good shape. It was pleasing that to come through in difficult conditions, as well, is even better, yeah.

Q. You got some treatment on your foot. What was that involving? Was that due to the conditions? It was so dry out there and the court was quite sticky?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I've got a bit of an issue with my toe, so I have it taped. And just sweating so much, the tape had come loose, yeah. Actually, he had the same issue, a bit of taping coming loose.

Q. That toe issue, is that something you have had for a long time or just in the last couple of weeks or months?

DANIEL EVANS: No, I have had it a little while now. You know, just occupational hazard, I guess (smiling).

Yeah, it needs sorting, but it's difficult, you know, to drill the nail when I'm playing so much and then not sure how long it will take, so just trying to prevent the issue right now, yeah.

Q. You're playing Schwartzman. You played him in Cincinnati not too long ago. What did you learn from that match?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it was a good match. You know, I was obviously in a different place than now to where I was after COVID. You know, it was actually the start of me playing very good tennis leading on to the US Open, so that was probably the match which, you know, gave me the most confidence of that trip to get going again and get on a good sort of path to playing well, playing my game.

So, you know, I look back, I lost the match, but pretty good memories. I know a lot of things which I did well which worked. You know, I played a pretty poor first set there, I think, or he played a better first set than me, so I know sort of how he might try and play, yeah.

Q. Does your heart sink when you're in conditions like this and very, very slow courts, or do you enjoy the challenge of trying to find a way to get the win?

DANIEL EVANS: The heart sinks a bit when I see Kei's name waiting to come through (smiling).

The conditions don't really bother me. I quite like it, but it was a tough first-round draw. That was more of the focus today was him rather than the conditions.

But, you know, I quite like it hot. It's faster for the air, so it does help me a lot more. Yeah, it wasn't so bad out there today. It was nice, healthy temperature.

Q. You're obviously a long-standing British No. 1 on the male side. I was just wondering if you watched your sort of opposite number last night and if you were kind of surprised how things panned out? I presume you have sort of been following Emma's progress.

DANIEL EVANS: You know, I watched a little bit. I mean, I think, obviously without speaking out of turn, I would not know what she's going through, and I think, you know, there are so many other things she's probably got to do right now after the US Open commitments that, you know, tennis probably wasn't, not her own fault, wasn't her only thing which she had to do, so it was difficult.

I think she said, I think I read somewhere that she said it was sort of a good feeling to get that match out of the way, and that's probably true, isn't it, that she'll now, you know, start getting back to a bit of normality where she can play and, you know, get ready for the next tournament.

So, yeah, I think I wouldn't know too much about what she's going through. A better question for Andy, I guess.

Q. Some people looking from the outside might be surprised she doesn't have a sort of coach in place at the moment, a full-time coach anyway, and Andrew Richardson she maybe didn't keep him on till the end of the season. I wonder, from your perspective, you're someone who in the past have played without a coach, is that challenging? How did you find that experience in the past?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it's not easy obviously. But then, you know, I have seen this week she had Batesy here. She had I think a hitter. She's got the right people to be able to do the right things at the tournament.

So it's no issues really with that. She's got the personnel, which maybe it's different people, but at the tournament she's got people. If she needs to hit, she needs to feed balls, that's no issue, where that was my biggest issue is that I didn't even have someone with me.

So, you know, obviously the coaching thing will be sorted soon, I guess. Then, you know, hopefully might be a bit of a longer partnership.

Q. What does a Dan Evans solo holiday look like? What did you do to switch off from tennis?

DANIEL EVANS: No, I mean, I just stayed in the hotel and sat by the pool pretty much all day. Yeah, ate food. That was it (smiling).