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Evans loses ranking to play Olympics with Murray

PA Media Andy Murray with arms aloft, eyes closed, and a big smile is behind Dan Evans, who celebrates with his racket above his headPA Media
Andy Murray and Dan Evans booked their place in the quarter final of the Olympic men's doubles against Belgium's Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, on Tuesday

Team GB’s Dan Evans has sacrificed his tennis ranking points to partner Andy Murray at the Olympics.

Judy Murray, Murray’s mother, retweeted a tweet by tennis reporter Mario Boccardi explaining how Evans will drop more than 110 ranking spots and will now be ranked outside of the top 170.

She said most people watching the pair, who last night moved into the last eight after another epic match went into a tie break, would not have known this about Evans.

One of Evans' oldest friends from Billesley Indoor Tennis Centre said Evans was an inspiration to those at the centre.

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Evans grew up in the Hall Green area of Birmingham and spent a number of his early years training at the centre.

Hansel Palmer, a coach at the club, told BBC WM the pair's second Paris win had been a great result with a good celebration after.

“[Evans] is 34 years old, he’s been working hard ever since he was a little boy as a tennis player, a professional player," he said.

“And this is the Olympics - [but] he’s not going to be at the next Olympics, at age 38. It’ll be up-and-coming British stars we’ve got coming through.”

Handout A photo of Hansel Palmer, a friend of tennis player Dan Evans, smiling and holding a tennis racketHandout
Hansel Palmer is a long-standing friend of Dan Evans who coaches at Billesley Indoor Tennis Centre, where Evans still regularly visits

'Signed shirts'

“It’s one of those competitions where if their bodies can hold out they can do it - they’ve got to come against [Rafael] Nadal and [Carlos] Alcaraz - the hot favourites... we’ll just see how it goes.”

Mr Palmer said Evans is an inspiration to those who train at the Billesley centre.

“He’s been fantastic down at Billesley when he comes and trains there," he continued.

"Sometimes he comes into my mini tennis lessons and hits with the kids, he’s great, he’s a lovely bloke, he’s signed shirts... so we can raffle them off to local charity.”

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