Dates:<\/strong> 28 May-11 June <\/span>Venue:<\/strong> Roland Garros, Paris<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Coverage: <\/strong>Live text and radio commentaries of selected matches across BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and app<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | Britain’s Dan Evans said his focus was “thrown out” by an unusual foot-fault ruling in his French Open first-round loss to Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis.<\/span><\/p>\n He was a break up in the second set when he was penalised for crossing the centre line when serving, going on to lose 6-4 6-4 6-4.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n While he said it was “not anywhere near the reason why” he lost, it did swing the momentum back to Kokkinakis.<\/span><\/p>\n “I lost all trust in where my feet were,” the 20th seed said.<\/span><\/p>\n “But I was bottom drawer from start to finish and he was decent.”<\/span><\/p>\n British men’s number two Evans won for the first time at Roland Garros last year, but has now suffered a fifth loss in six first-round matches at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament.<\/span><\/p>\n “It was a difficult day, that’s the bottom line, really. I was poor from start to finish,” Evans, 33, said.<\/span><\/p>\n “[Thanasi] took advantage of it. He served well. It’s frustrating really and that’s about it.”<\/span><\/p>\n Only two Britons – Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie – remain in the draw.<\/span><\/p>\n With Emma Raducanu injured, there are no British players in the women’s singles after seven players lost in qualifying.<\/span><\/p>\n Evans has long had a loveless relationship with the red dirt, but going into this year’s French Open he said he was feeling “very prepared”.<\/span><\/p>\n The clay-court swing started promisingly for the world number 25 with runs to the semi-finals in Marrakech and Barcelona.<\/span><\/p>\n However, he lost his opening matches in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome – the biggest tournaments going into Roland Garros – before heading to Paris.<\/span><\/p>\n In warm and lively conditions against wildcard Kokkinakis, Evans was unable to get on top of the Australian, who used his powerful forehand to force the Briton behind the baseline.<\/span><\/p>\n His serve came under pressure midway through the first set, with the Briton saving four break points in an 11-minute game to hold for 3-2 before his resistance ended when he next served.<\/span><\/p>\n The single break proved key in the opener but Evans reset at the start of the second and moved 4-1 ahead as he looked in a good position to level.<\/span><\/p>\n But Evans was annoyed by being penalised for the foot fault when he led 4-2 30-0 and the double fault swung momentum back to 108th-ranked Kokkinakis.<\/span><\/p>\n “It obviously threw me quite a bit because it just totally threw me and where I was then serving from,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “My technique got thrown out. It’s a very minor thing, but it became a pretty big thing in my head.”<\/span><\/p>\n Evans lost the next four points as the Australian broke back in that game and then, after the 20th seed showed his anger by smashing a water bottle at the changeover, saw out the set by winning five games in a row. <\/span><\/p>\n With his exasperation increasingly evident, Evans dropped serve for 3-2 in the decider and belief seemed to be draining from him.<\/span><\/p>\n However, he did manage to rescue the break for 4-4 but was instantly broken back for 5-4 and Kokkinakis retained control to seal victory.<\/span><\/p>\n Afterwards Evans said it is “frustrating” not being able to crack the world’s top 20 after spending most of the past three years in the top 30.<\/span><\/p>\n “I’m trying to do what I think is right to get there, but it’s obviously not paying off,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n |
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