That would send Evans tumbling more than 100 spots toward the bottom end of the world’s top 200, taking away his automatic entry to top-tier tennis events. He would have to drop

Evans cruised through to the second round following an impressive 6-1, 7-5, 6-2 victory over compatriot Jay Clarke, while Djokovic battled past Alexandre Muller in a gruelling four-set encounter in the opening round, which saw him complain about stomach issues.

Four years ago, Daniel and Novak met at the Monte Carlo Masters, and the lower-ranked player produced a stunner, toppling the legend in straight sets. The Serb sprayed too many errors and failed to deal with the rival's mixture of slices and flat shots.