Evans Derailed by Unusual Foot-Fault Ruling: French Open First-Round Frustration Continues for Britain’s 20th Seed

Britain’s Dan Evans, the 20th seed, suffers a first-round defeat at the French Open, citing an unexpected foot-fault ruling as a significant factor in his loss of focus.

Britain’s Dan Evans faced a disappointing first-round defeat to Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis at the French Open, attributing an unusual foot-fault ruling as a significant factor in his loss of focus. Although Evans insisted it wasn’t the sole reason for his loss, the ruling shifted momentum in favor of Kokkinakis, who ultimately won 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

“I was bottom drawer from start to finish and he [Kokkinakis] was decent,” Evans admitted, as he struggled to maintain trust in his foot placement after being penalized for crossing the center line during a serve.

For Evans, the British men’s number two, this marks the fifth loss in six first-round matches at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament. “It was a difficult day, that’s the bottom line, really. I was poor from start to finish,” the 33-year-old lamented.

Kokkinakis capitalized on Evans’ frustration, maintaining strong serving throughout the match. With Evans’ defeat, Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie are now the only two Britons remaining in the draw.

Evans’ Troubled History with Clay Courts Continues

Despite his troubled history with clay courts, Evans entered this year’s French Open feeling “very prepared.” His performance during the clay-court swing was initially promising, with semi-final runs in Marrakech and Barcelona. However, disappointing results in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome followed.

During the match against wildcard Kokkinakis, Evans struggled to counter the Australian’s powerful forehand and assertive tactics. The foot-fault ruling in the second set seemed to exacerbate his frustration, leading to a loss of focus.

Though Evans rallied momentarily in the final set, he ultimately succumbed to Kokkinakis’ pressure, Evans expressed frustration at not breaking into the world’s top 20 after spending much of the past three years in the top 30.

“I’m trying to do what I think is right to get there, but it’s obviously not paying off,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s a hard sport. That’s the bottom line”.

Meanwhile, setbacks in the women’s singles tournament saw seven British players lose in the qualifying rounds, and Emma Raducanu sidelined due to injury.