Wimbledon 2021: Can Dan Evans repeat his success against Novak Djokovic?
Follow Us
Novak Djokovic and Dan Evans
ATP veteran player Dan Evans will be competing at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships as the British No.1. The 31-year-old will be seeded 23 when the singles draws get released later in the day at the All England Club. After injury to former No.1 Andy Murray and inconsistent play by Kyle Edmund, Evans has been bearing the flag for British tennis lately.
Evans kicked off the year by winning the warm-up event in Melbourne, in the lead up to the Australian Open. Thereafter, his biggest win of 2021 came against the World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third-round of Monte Carlo Masters. The 31-year-old shocked everyone by stunning the Serb in straight sets and even made the semifinals in Monaco. Interestingly, it was the first time Evans and Djokovic locked horns on the ATP tour.
Onto the grass courts, Evans made two consecutive quarterfinals in Nottingham and London, ahead of the all-important Wimbledon Championships.
Djokovic and Evans have never met at Wimbledon
As it is already known that Evans is placed on the opposite quarter of the draw, he will not meet Djokovic before the semis. Therefore, let’s try to assess whether Evans can first reach the deep end of Wimbledon and repeat his heroics against the 19-time Grand Slam champion in front of his home crowd.
Firstly, it is important to recognize that Evans will not be given the chance of meeting Djokovic early. Therefore, the five-time Wimbledon champion is going shrug off the rust, if any in the early rounds.
Secondly, Evans too doesn’t have a great record at Wimbledon. In all these years, he has never gone past the third round. If history repeats, he might not even end up meeting Djokovic.
Lastly, it is difficult to see the Brit getting past the Serb. Beating Djokovic in a five-setter at a Grand Slam is perhaps one of the most difficult task in tennis. While Evans can serve and volley, which is ideal for the grass, Djokovic’s movement and return for elongated periods will eventually nail the 31-year-old.
Also read: Is Matteo Berrettini the biggest threat to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon 2021 ?
Stay Updated!
Vivek Krishnan
(767 Articles Published)