Well done to Dan Evans. The best answer to critics.

It seems to me like the LTA need to employ sports psychologists to get the most from the junior players. The juniors all compete much more intensely when they have been banned, showing their true class.

A really good psychologist would get that mentality out of them without having to ban them. Sometimes it is the difference between talent, and champion - the desire.

EVO - great win - gd luck to him in the future from Talp

things looking good

flan won doubles i think

So my thoughts on today -

In the first set it was pretty even until Flan eased into a higher gear, smoking the returns and the passing shots, hitting the lines and making tennis look effortless. Like we all know he can.

Dan was getting pretty frustrated and orchestrated an argument with the umpire to channel it out. I tihnk this helped to focus him and his level upped in set two. He began to find cheap points on serve slicing out the the Flanagan forehand, and having practised his own forehand after nearly every point in Set 1 he started to find range with that.

Flan still looked like he might have another gear but Dan began to just stick to him not giving him anything for free and eventaully broke to a loud roar. Sadly, he then went to pieces on serve and slipped straight to 0-40 with three ue's before being broken straight back to 15.

A lesser player may have crumbled at this point and Faln was favourite to wrap it up in 2.

Two service holds followed and then another monster game with lots of deuce points, rallies getting longer and Evans forehand beginning to wear Flan down. Dan showed great athleticism and a good brain for constructing points, chipping and charging on Flan's second serve and ghosting into net for flashy backhand smashes and clinical deep volleys on a few occassions.

On the break points Flan was kicking his serve short and high to Dan's shoulder level (Dan is not the tallest!) which saved him a few, but Dan showed his ability to learn on the court and eventually forced the erros out of Flan in the rallies to break again for 5-3.

Dan served out the set without much worry and it was GAME ON!

The first game of the third set served by Flan was another long one and Dan kept up the initiative, moving Flan around and digging out double handed defensive shots to stay in the rallies and forcing FLan to try sometihng more.

Eventually Dan broke, and at the changeoer Flan just gave up. The trainer was called to make it official but it was an anti-climax.

The presentation took place on court within 3 minutes and both players took their leave.

Dan did seem disappointed to have won his first Futures title by retirement but I'm sure he will look back on the week with fondness and can rest assured he played well enough to win. I make that 13 wins in the last 14 singles matches for Evans and while he may be a little tired, he is young and there is absolutely no substitute for winning. I hope his form continues in Cumberland.

I was impressed with the Wrexham set up as well. What a pity the challenger was dropped. I hope it comes back next year.

Nice report, JL

Thanks for the scores and reports, J'lad and Steven.

Typical that newspapers report when someone gets suspended, but not when they do well. Winning a Futures by the age of 18 and 2 is a remarkable achievement, even by international standards.