Jack Draper and Dan Evans start their Olympic campaigns with wins
Evans defeated Moez Echargui while Draper saw off Kei Nishikori but Katie Boulter was beaten and Cameron Norrie withdrew.
Dan Evans and Jack Draper kicked off their Olympic campaigns with victories – then dished the dirt on each other’s living habits.
Both are making their Games debuts and 21-year-old Draper eased to a 6-1 6-4 victory over veteran Kei Nishikori at Roland Garros before Evans battled past Moez Echargui 6-2 4-6 6-2.
All the British male players are sharing an apartment at the Athletes’ Village, which has led to a few moments of tension, with Evans’ habit of getting up early drawing complaints from Draper.
“(Draper) can get after it quite a bit at some strange times. I wake up early but he wants to have a full-bloodied argument at like 11 o’clock when we’re trying to settle down.
“He storms in because he’s been sitting on his bed for about four hours and wants to get fired up. He could argue about anything.
“I’ve got to say I thought Andy (Murray) would be a disgrace, untidy, but he keeps his (stuff) to the side together. We’re pretty lucky actually. No one’s messy. I think we’ve all sort of respected each (other).
Draper and Murray were among those on the British boat for the opening ceremony, with Evans choosing to watch from the Athletes’ Village.
“Apart from the rain, I thought it was an unbelievable experience,” said Draper. “I saw a few people maybe said it didn’t look that great on the TV or something but to be there as someone on the boat and see all the crowds and there was a tightrope walker and there were planes doing amazing things.
“I think it was in the top five best moments of my life so far. I thought it was amazing and I’d be gutted if I had missed it for sure.”
“I’m winding them up obviously that they got p***ed on all night and they made the wrong choice,” said Evans with a smile.
Evans is not a man given to hyperbole but, playing in his first Olympics at the age of 34, he waxed lyrical about the experience, which will include playing doubles with Murray in his final tournament.
“I’m not just saying it, I’m not Jack Draper, it has been one of the best experiences – not the best – of my life,” said Evans. “How we’ve been looked after has been top. And hopefully we’re here for another week.”
Evans has been struggling with a knee injury suffered at Queen’s Club last month and he was not helped by a heavy fall during his match against Tunisian world number 384 Echargui, who earned his place by winning the African Games, requiring a visit from the trainer to have a grazed knee patched up.
He promised Murray ahead of the Games that doubles would be his priority and he hinted he might pull out of singles if he did not feel physically he was up to both.
Katie Boulter, Britain’s only representative in the women’s singles, could not make it through the first round, losing 6-4 6-2 to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, while Cameron Norrie became the latest withdrawal because of a left arm injury.
