THERE have been countless times over the years when Dan Evans' father feared his son had thrown it all away.

Evans' lifestyle - too much of a fondness for enjoying himself, too little dedication to training - was not that of someone who had a vision of reaching the top of the game, of hitting with Roger Federer at the US Open before powering into the uncharted territory of the third round of a major tournament.

Dave Evans, forever supportive, knew something had to change. The warnings became more frequent and tougher. Tennis, after all, is not a cheap career to pursue. With the LTA more than once taking away his funding, it was costing Evans junior - and his family - somewhere in the region of £50,000 a year to keep his dream alive.

For Andy Murray, with his millions in the bank and a team of fitness trainers and specialists following him around the globe, money is no issue. For Evans though, who this time last year was playing in places like Wrexham and Chiswick, it is.

The 23-year-old Englishman's progress here - he has a third-round meeting with Tommy Robredo, the Spanish world No.22, this afternoon - has already earned him £60,000.

Another display to match those Evans produced in defeating Kei Nishikori and Bernard Tomic would boost the fund even more and give Evans a further reminder, if he needs it, that hard work and dedication really can work wonders for your game, and your bank balance.

"We've had no regrets, as such," said Evans senior. "Yes, Dan hasn't always done what he's supposed to have done, but he's made a commitment to try to be a tennis player. There are so many distractions for young people these days, and he got sidetracked - but no regrets.

"But there came a time when we had to say 'stop, and tell him we can't keep funding him until he starts putting more into his game. That's more or less what we said. For a lot of people, over the past two years or so things have been very tight. There isn't endless money and, obviously with a tennis player - Dan does a lot of travelling - it takes a lot of money.

"I said to him that, at the end of the day, unless he made that commitment, goes out there and actually tries to be a tennis player, he would have to think about getting himself a job. That is the way it was going. Things were very tight. He must have listened to some of it."

Evans senior has not been able to travel to New York to see his son's labours bear fruit. "I tried to get out there but didn't have enough time, with work commitments and everything else," he said. "But a friend went out two nights ago and he's staying with Dan. One of his former coaches from one of the academies, he's flying out, too. We'll be with him in spirit."

Evans' run in Flushing Meadows has been no fluke. His talent with a racquet in his hand has never been in question. It was the fitness element that needed to be looked at, along with trying to ensure various pennies finally dropped in the player's mind. Ask Murray just how important that part of being a professional is.

The British No.3 believes he is in the best shape of his life, an intense six-week training block with the fitness coach Steve Kotze having worked wonders.

When the heat was on against Tomic on Thursday, Evans was able to stay strong, both mentally and physically. That has not always been the case. Leon Smith, Great Britain's Davis Cup captain and a real believer in Evans, knows how key the time with Kotze has been.

"For me, the most pleasing is that he has done a six-week trip and it is a big benchmark to do that," Smith said. "Since April, Dan has improved his tennis and its great to see him carry the momentum forward.

"I've always felt that if Dan can get into this environment, get more of a taste of it, he will stay there. He has started to realise what he can have. He definitely should be at this level and good players like him pick things up quickly.

"He has the athletic skills, he has the tennis skills, a lot of really good attributes, and with the work he has done these six weeks with Steve Kotze just shows what can be achieved. He is a very good natural athlete and if you add some more power to that, it will pay dividends in his game."