Henry Searle rues slow start in Wimbledon defeat

Wolverhampton’s Henry Searle rued his own slow start as his Wimbledon adventure ended and the curtain came down on doubles partner Dan Evans’ career.

The duo - now player and coach as Birmingham’s Evans moves into the next stage of his career - fell to defeat in the first round of the men’s doubles at SW19.

A spirited comeback late in the second set was short-lived, as the West Midlands duo lost 6-2 6-4 to ninth seeds Hugo Nys and Édouard Roger-Vasselin.

“We got off to a bit of a slow start, myself more so,” Searle reflected. “We stuck with them for most of the second.”

Searle, 20, will now return to the lower rungs of the tennis tour, having reached a career high singles ranking of 263 this year - he lost in the second qualifying round for Wimbledon, so was left to focus on the doubles alongside Evans, who is no stranger to playing special doubles matches throughout his career.

Perhaps most poignant of all was his partnership with Andy Murray at the 2024 Paris Olympics - Murray’s last-ever professional match.

Two years on, the roles were reversed, as Wolverhampton-born Searle accompanied Evans in his final farewell.

After a difficult start, in which doubles specialists Nys and Roger-Vasselin showed their skill, the Birmingham man gave the crowd reason to cheer.

At 5-3 down in the final set, he let out a roar after digging out some seemingly impossible shots to set up a break point.

But it proved too little, too late for the British pair.

“It was nice to finish playing with Henry, someone who I’ve started to work with a lot and see him develop,” said Evans, who started coaching Searle at the beginning of the year. “In a strange way I'm happy it's over. The door closes, and then another chapter starts.”

It was a decade earlier that Evans took on eight-time singles champion Roger Federer on Centre Court, so it was quite fitting the iconic ivy-draped structure loomed over Court 15 as the 36-year-old hit the final shot of his professional tennis career.

Evans added: “It was quite cool that it was Court 15, it was all a bit fitting for how the last month has gone. I enjoyed every minute of it.”

Former world No. 21 and British No. 1 Evans won two ATP Tour titles over his 20-year career.

In 2015, he was part of the British team that earned the country’s first Davis Cup trophy in 79 years.

Contrasting with the magnitude of his achievements, Evans’ retirement party is set to be a low-key affair.

“I'll have a few beers, watch the football,” said Evans. “It seems only right at Wimbledon when you lose that you head into the village, right?

“When I get home, I'll sit down with friends, family, and probably reminisce a bit.”

For the latest updates on the British summer grass court season, visit the LTA website, lta.org.uk.