Andy hails Edmund’s ‘best win’
ANDY MURRAY was impressed. Leon Smith, Britain’s Davis Cup captain, was delighted. Poor old Kyle Edmund was just plain knackered.
He had just beaten Nikoloz Basilashvili, the world No61 from Georgia, 7-6, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 in a little over three-and-a-half hours in 42°C heat to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
It matched his best result at a GrandSlam tournament – two years ago he got to the last 16 at the US Open – but in Murray’s eyes, it was Edmund’s best win.
Murray tweeted: “Physical test passed... Mental strength passed... I reckon that’s biggest win of @kyle8edmund career! Well done kedders.”
Edmund, a quiet man not given to great outbursts of emotion, was not so sure but he was pretty pleased with himself.
“It was a great, great win for me to come through like that in a Grand Slam,” he said. “Best-of-five sets in that kind of heat; it’s really good for my career and my confidence going forward.
“The fact that I was down like that and came through a lot of tough moments in the match is really good for me. I showed good character to come through that.”
All seemed well when Edmund was a set and a break up but then, in the heat and the wind, he lost his way. His timing evaporated and he lost seven games in a row and two sets on the bounce.
The match hinged on the second game of the fourth set, an epic, 20-minute battle of 15 deuces and eight break points. Edmund won it, ran away with the set and headed for the decider and a true test of mental and physical mettle.
“Sets get played as quick as that,” Edmund said. “It was a key game to get through, and a very long game. From then on, the end of that fourth and the fifth, it was just trying to get through. Physically it was getting tough out there.”
Last year, Edmund was losing these tight, long matches. This week alone, he has closed out two of them, beating Kevin Anderson, the No11 seed on Monday, and now Basilashvili. To notch up those wins, the second in such brutal conditions, was a huge step forward, according to Smith. “He is getting a belief where he belongs,” Smith said. “His level is there. Today was about showing a good amount of heart, guts, courage. That’s a really important win.” Andreas Seppi, Edmund’s next opponent, will be feeling a little weary too after beating Ivo Karlovic 9-7 in the fifth set after almost four hours of effort. Edmund won their only previous encounter in straight sets but that was two years ago on an indoor hard court in Rotterdam. “He’s a guy who works off timing,” Edmund said. “He doesn’t have a huge amount of firepower but especially in these conditions the ball flies through anyway, so he really likes to time the ball and get it through the court. “He’s beaten Nick [Kyrgios] here and Roger [Federer] so there you go. He likes it here. He won’t be going for his shots as much as my opponent today.” If Edmund beats Seppi, he could find himself up against Kyrgios in the quarterfinals. The one-time bad boy has reinvented himself for this year’s Open and is now the level-headed, supremely talented hometown hope. Yesterday he kept his cool to edge past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 in the Rod Laver Arena in easily the best match of the tournament so far. With no more than a couple of points deciding each set, the showdown had something for everyone; an Australian win to keep the locals happy, three hours and 17 minutes of aggression and power to keep the neutrals in raptures; and, for good measure, Tsonga picking a fight with a fan. “It was amazing,” said Kyrgios. “I’d never won a match on this court but playing Jo, I was very nervous. He was a guy I looked up to as a kid. I still do. I’m just happy to get through.” Rafael Nadal breezed past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the last 16 without dropping a set. He now faces Diego Schwartzman from Argentina.
Some sets are shorter than that game – physically it was tough out there