Dan Evans's cocaine use sparks plan for more pastoral care

The men’s tennis tour is looking to provide more pastoral care for its players – and possibly a free counselling service – in the wake of Dan Evans’s positive test for cocaine.

Evans admitted on Friday night that he was guilty of using the drug, which was detected in a urine sample collected at April’s Barcelona Open.

On Saturday sources suggested that he has partial defence ready for the forthcoming hearing – the date of which has yet to be confirmed – and still hopes that he can limit the ban to the 12 months that Richard Gasquet served after a similar positive test in 2009.

In the meantime, Chris Kermode, executive chairman of the Association of Tennis Professionals, said that Evans deserves understanding as well as censure. Privately, ATP officials believe that they could do more to help players with behavioural issues.

“Dan has made a big mistake,” said Kermode in a statement, “and it's a great shame for his career. It's obviously something he has to pay the price for, and will live to regret more than anyone. While we await the outcome of his case, Dan is someone who needs support and the right people around him in the hope of eventually getting his career back on track. The ATP will be there to help him through this process should he wish.”

Those who have worked with Evans tend to see him as a lovable scamp who unfortunately suffers from weak self-control. They also talk about one or two undesirable friends from his youth who continue to lead him astray.

In all probability, his use of cocaine was social rather than performance enhancing. Which is why the overwhelming reaction has been one of disbelief at his brainlessness. The only person Evans has hurt here is himself.

As the former British No1 Jo Durie told Eurosport: “Dan has been given so many chances through the years. He’s been forgiven, been given funding and then mucked it up again. So I’m just shaking my head. He’s really thrown his career away.”

Meanwhile, one of Britain’s other leading men – Kyle Edmund - has parted with his coach Ryan Jones after a little over 18 months together. The move stemmed from frustration at the way Edmund’s world ranking has held steady somewhere around the mid-40s since October, in the wake of his eye-catching run to the fourth round of the US Open. At 22, Edmund has already worked with four different coaches on the tour.

And in Birmingham, knife-attack victim Petra Kvitova continued her fairytale comeback by beating Lucie Safarova – who retired with a leg injury early in the second set - in Saturday’s semi-final. Kvitova will play Ashleigh Barty – the Australian who is also making a comeback to tennis after playing a season of Big Bash cricket – in Sunday’s final.