Since February 7, 2014, Dan Evans has won just one match on the main ATP Tour, which came at Queen's against Jurgen Melzer, who at the time was sitting at number 51 in the world rankings. On paper, it is the kind of form that should mean that the 25-year-old is well out of contention for a place in the squad of a team who has reached the Davis Cup semi-finals, but in Great Britain's case, they had little option but to call upon a player who has long been considered the "enigma" of British tennis.
When Leon Smith first selected his squad for the Glasgow showdown with Australia, Evans was nowhere to be seen. His outstanding recent run of results was acknowledged, but Smith indicated that the second singles spot would go to either James Ward or Kyle Edmund. If anything, it was a safe move by GB's captain, but in the space of a week, he has been able to keep a watchful eye over an out-of-form Ward and witness Edmund sustain an ankle injury, albeit seemingly insignificant with the 20-year-old continuing to practise after the fitness issue.
Nevertheless, there was enough doubt in Smith's mind to see him draft in Evans at late notice. Whether the Birmingham hitter was initially being used as a practice partner or his withdrawal from a Challenger event in Istanbul indicated that he had genuine hope of late inclusion, Smith has seen something in Evans that has convinced him to place faith in the current world number 300 in what is arguably the biggest decision that he has had to make during his spell as the head of the Great Britain team.
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While his decision is especially tough on Ward, everything points to Evans being the correct choice to feature in one of this afternoon's singles rubbers. Since suffering defeat in the third qualifying round of Wimbledon, Evans has won 29 of his 33 matches, many of which have come at futures level. The third tier of the sport is a million miles away from the environment in which he will find himself in at the Emirates Arena, but winning breeds confidence, and regardless of his opposition, three tournament victories in the space of a few months is an impressive return.
Evans also produced an outstanding run at the Vancouver Challenger. Not only did he negotiate three qualifying rounds, he shocked veteran Radek Stepanek and world number 108 Taro Daniel on the way to a place in the semi-finals before he ran out of steam against John-Patrick Smith. As far as the recent results of Ward are concerned, there is no comparison.
Reaching the third round of Wimbledon in July and breaking into the world's top 100 were two long-term goals achieved by Ward in quick succession, but meeting those targets has had ramifications, with the Londoner going on to lose nine matches in a row. Ward has been instrumental in helping Great Britain reach the semi-finals - his wins over Sam Querrey and John Isner will live long in the memory - but it was nigh-on impossible for Smith to remain loyal to the 28-year-old.
Since Wimbledon, Edmund has emerged victorious on 10 occasions, losing just three. That is a solid return at any level of the game, but as well as being a Davis Cup rookie, his most recent defeat to Yoshihito Nishioka in the final round of US Open qualifying may have suggested to Smith that this weekend's tie is a few months too soon for the British number three and if his inclusion went wrong, it could be detrimental for his development. It has also been nearly six months since Edmund beat a player in the world's top 100, something which he would need to do if he was to get a point on the board for his team.
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It has been 15 months since Evans last achieved that feat, but the main factor in his favour over Edmund is his experience. He may not have represented his country in the Davis Cup since September 2013 but Evans has still played his part in the journey that has seen Great Britain reach the semi-finals. In April 2013, in the deciding rubber against Russia's Evgeny Donskoy, Evans stormed to a straight-sets win over the world number 80 to earn his team a place in the World Group Playoffs. He has not contributed as many victories or inspirational moments as Ward, but the outlook of British tennis would not have looked so bright had Evans not come through that match.
Evans also possesses a win over Australia's leading player Bernard Tomic, which remains the biggest victory of his career to date. That triumph came at the 2013 US Open, days after Evans had thrashed Kei Nishikori, and it was supposed to cement his transition from a hopeful in Challenger events to a regular participant in main draws on the ATP Tour. That hasn't transpired, but is it significant that Evans has already defeated Tomic on a hard court, albeit outdoors? We will find out at some point on Friday afternoon.
If Evans is unable to see off Tomic, who is now ranked at world number 23, Smith may come under fire for drafting in a player who has not been seen at this level of the game for two years. However, Davis Cup tennis is a ruthless environment and there was no room for sentiment on Smith's part regarding his decision to leave out Ward and delay blooding Edmund until next year. The GB skipper needs players in form at his disposal, and for this tie, Evans, alongside Andy Murray, was the only logical choice.
Darren Plant
