His knee surgery
On leaving the first confinement, during a tournament organized by the French Federation in Aix-en-Provence in early June, Evan Furness damaged his meniscus. “I had a bucket handle tear. My leg was stuck in a 90% axis and I had to have an operation. After that, I needed three weeks to be able to walk again and then another three weeks to have recourse. It was long, especially at the beginning when you are on a crutch ”.
The Pontivyen was then able to resume training, then competition in early September with tournaments on the ITF Future circuit in Portugal. “I didn’t know it yet, but I wasn’t 100% physically and psychologically. After an operation, we put the brakes on and I was frustrated to play less well than before my injury. “
His 19 wins in a row in Greece
“I arrived for the first tournament in Greece with as much desire as in Portugal when I came back, but this time I was able to let myself go completely. I didn’t ask myself any more questions. “
Forced to go through the qualifications during the first Future, Evan Furness then chained 19 straight victories, which allowed him to win the first three tournaments organized in Heraklion. In the fourth, he was beaten in the second round in three sets by Dutchman Tim Van Rijhoiven after a three-day match. “I had the opportunities to continue my journey, but my opponent played well”.
There, he witnessed a flood after a dam failed due to heavy rainfall. “At the hotel, we didn’t risk anything, but in the village where the tournament was located, it was a disaster. I was shocked “.
A turning point?
Under the eyes of his father, in Greece, does he have the impression of having passed a milestone? “It’s hard to say, it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve won a Future. But I am very happy to have regained my confidence after my injury. Above all, I felt very good sensations. I have rarely had so much control on the field, the impression of controlling things without telling myself that I won because my opponent played less well or made mistakes ”.
After a few days of vacation spent this week in his Pontivy stronghold, Evan Furness will compete in Poitiers for one of the five FFT Pro Challenges. Then he will continue with his land preparation (“a momentous period”) for the next season.
Its classification
N.456 in the ATP ranking published on November 23, Evan Furness explains that he does not pay too much attention to his ranking, he who had reached the 391st world rank in August 2019.
“I try not to watch too much. A good ranking logically comes with good results and consistency. I prefer to have work objectives, to know where my game will take me, rather than a place objective. Some are only motivated by their ranking, others by money, it’s really my way of playing. And having won these three “Futures” is better than having competed in the first three laps in ATP in terms of feeling. I was able to apply things that I understood before my injury ”.
His relationship with Daniil Medvedev and Fiona Ferro
“If he won the Masters, it’s thanks to me”. It’s a joke, obviously, but Evan Furness is particularly happy with the success of Russian Daniil Medvedev at Bercy and then at the London Masters. The two players are used to kicking the ball together at Jean-René Lisnard’s Elite Tennis Center in Cannes. They also trained together during the confinement that Evan spent with his girlfriend, Fiona Ferro, in Valbonne (Alpes-Maritimes).
“He sent me messages to congratulate me on my victories in Greece and I obviously did the same. He is the only very high level player that I have known and he is a good person. I am also in contact with his coach Gilles Cervara ”.
Evan Furness also discusses his relationship with the rising star of French women’s tennis. “We have the same goals, the same way of seeing things. With the confinement, we were lucky to be able to spend time together, which is not easy with our respective agendas. Otherwise, during the season, we try to settle for periods when we will train together or take rest in the same place ”.
