By Alessandro Mastroluca
- Yoshihito Nishioka def. Dan Evans 6-4 6-3 6-4
- The Brit admitted his opponent managed the windy conditions better than him
- He aims to change his schedule to arrive fresher to the next big tournaments of the season
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Dan Evans hit 39 unforced errors in his straight-sets defeat to Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka in a windy day at the Australian Open.
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Dan Evans, seeded for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament, admitted Yoshihito Nishioka handled the blustery conditions better than he did after his 6-4 6-3 6-4 defeat at the Australian Open second round.
The Brit No.1 got just 60% of his first serves in and committed 39 unforced errors against the quick and solid Japanese, who reached the third round for the first time in a major. In the opening sets, he looked to suffer the consequences of the comeback victory from two sets down in the first round. He struggled physically and confirmed, in his post-match interview, he’s planning to change his schedule in the future to arrive fresher at the biggest tournaments.
READ MORE | Tennis | Australian Open 2020 | Three to See on Day 3
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In his interview to Eurosport, he said Nishioka simply played better than him and deserved to win.
“He chases everything down on my backhand side and I find it difficult to play him. It’s frustrating but that is what makes him such a good player. He frustrates players. I have to look back (at the start of the 2020 season] and be happy with how it’s gone. I’ve played a lot of matches and I have to put it in perspective. It’s been a good run so far so time to get home and rest up”.
Just two Brits are left in the draw, with Harriet Dart and Heather Watson both playing their second round matches on Thursday.
Play continues at the Australian Open on Day Four at 11am (Midnight GMT).
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