JonH comes home wrote:

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Priesty wrote:

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Anyone just listened to the interview with Dan on Radio 5 Live? Didn't know his mum (a nurse) had had coronavirus, glad she seems to be on the mend.

Had to laugh when I heard he's not the best cook!

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 I had heard it was on steve Crossman show but missed it! Anything of tennis interest?

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 He talked about how players have kept in touch via WhatsApp and how some (citing Liam Broady as an example) are more competitive about what they are able to do in training at the moment than they are on the court. Also about the shock to the system the hands have to endure when picking up a racquet for the first time in ages - blisters, cracked and splitting skin, how he would love tennis to have restarted by the end of the year, how weird yet somehow iconic a crowdless US Open final on Arthur Ashe stadium would be.  And, in spite of his and Jamie Murray's differences, he hopes he can arrange a Brits only event some time in the not too distant future.

Article by Stu Fraser in today's Times:

Dan Evans wants US Open to go ahead despite Novak Djokovic's concerns

Dan Evans has urged top players such as Novak Djokovic to back the staging of the US Open behind closed doors by sacrificing their large entourages.  The British No 1 is fully supportive of the protocols that have been proposed for the grand-slam event scheduled for August 31-September 13 in New York. These include a ban on more than one team member, special charter flights, regular testing and designated accommodation in a bio-secure bubble.  Djokovic, the world No 1 from Serbia, has branded the plans "extreme" and believes that a limit of just one accompanying coach is "impossible". Rafael Nadal, the defending champion from Spain, also expressed reservations last week about returning when travel restrictions are still in place.

"I would be happy to go there with one coach," Evans said. "I've even heard people talking about sharing a coach or a physio. I just think it's time. There would be no bigger support for lower-ranked players financially than a grand slam. There's a player relief fund, but there's nothing bigger than the first or second round of a grand slam [worth about £45,000-£80,000]. If they're holding a tournament in this climate, it's all going to be sorted. They're going to have it all down to a tee and we're going to have a tournament if the players show up. Hopefully, some higher-ranked guys start backing the USTA [United States Tennis Association] and get a tournament on if it's safe."

The sentiments of Evans, the world No 28, are believed to be shared by the majority of the rank-and-file players. After having no opportunities to earn prize money since mid-March, there is understandably a significant urge for the international tour to return in August if it is deemed safe by the relevant authorities. There is also little sympathy for complaints from star names that they will not be able to bring their usual sizeable teams. A number of low-ranking players are well used to travelling in the company of only one person.

"For tennis, it would be great to get back out there," Evans said. "There are other sports which are back out there and this might be tennis for a little while now with no crowd. How long are we going to wait? Are we going to wait until we can have perfection?  "The noise at the minute is pretty positive that the US Open is going to [happen]. Whatever their reasons, you have to applaud them for their efforts, trying to get tennis back on the courts and televisions, and giving the players an opportunity to work again."

A decision on the status of the US Open is likely to be made in the next two weeks, while French Open organisers are continuing with their plans to stage their event in late September.  "Our goal remains to conduct the 2020 US Open, and the health and safety of all those involved in the tournament in any capacity is the number one driver of all our decisions," a US Open spokesman said.  "We are working collaboratively with all parties involved to get a greater understanding of all the facts, viewpoints and concerns around this entire situation. Those parties include our medical experts, government officials, US Open partners, and, of course, both of the tours and the players."

Also covered in Metro.