Dan Evans put up a decent fight before falling in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Championships to Gael Monfils.
The British number two, who is at a career-high ranking of 43, hit back impressively after losing the first set but was unable to maintain the momentum as fourth seed Monfils triumphed 6-4 3-6 6-1.
A break of the Evans serve in the opening game proved decisive in the first set, and the signs were not promising when Monfils repeated the feat at the start of the second.
But a few choice words from Evans sparked a revival, with Monfils holding serve just once in the second set.
However, ultimately it was the British player's struggles on serve that cost him as another early break gave Monfils the advantage in the decider.
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