Evan’s Wimbledon Bow Ends In Defeat But Wales’ No 1 Will Get Another Bite Of The Strawberry

Evan Hoyt’s senior Wimbledon debut ended in defeat on Thursday afternoon, but he will get a second bite of the strawberry in the mixed doubles.

The Welsh number one and his men’s doubles partner Luke Johnson lost their first round match in straight sets on court number eight.

The British duo were due to play the experienced Spanish pairing of Fernando Verdasco and Pablo Andjudar.

However, the Spaniards withdrew following Verdasco’s five set singles win over British number one Kyle Edmund and were replaced in the draw by American Nicholas Monroe and German Mischa Zverev.

And it was the late replacements who took the initiative early on winning the first two closely fought sets 6-4, 6-4.

The British pairing led early on in the third set and a comeback looked on after they broke their opponents’ serve.

However, the American-German pairing fought back to square the scores and went on to take the third set 7-5 to complete a straight sets victory in a couple of minutes under two hours.

Now Hoyt, who is the first senior Welsh player to appear at Wimbledon since Rebecca Llewellyn in 2006, will turn his attention to the mixed doubles where he will partner fellow Brit Eden Silva.

The right-hander from London will team-up with Hoyt in the first round against the hugely experienced pairing of Australian Sam Stosur and India’s Leander Paes.

The timing of the match has yet to be announced.

Stosur won the singles title at the US Open in 2011 and last year won the Australian Open ladies doubles crown to add to the French Open title she won in 2006.

The 35-year-old has twice won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title – in 2008 and 2014 – and the Australian Open title in 2005.

Meanwhile 46-year old Paes has won eight doubles and 10 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. In 1999 he won both the men’s doubles and mixed doubles at Wimbledon, as well as the French Open men’s doubles title.