AGONY FOR KYLE AS HE RUNS OUT OF STEAM
KYLE EDMUND’S parents, Steven and Denise, could be found moving anonymously around the concession stalls at the Flanders Expo an hour before their son made his Davis Cup debut. Having come over on the ferry, they had spoken to him yesterday morning and ventured that they might be feeling more nervous than he appeared to be. And if the 20-year-old from Humberside did have any anxieties about being thrown into the feverish atmosphere of Britain’s first final in 37 years, he certainly did not show them at the start. Edmund exploded out of the blocks and for an hour and a quarter looked like he might write his name into Davis Cup folklore. Another hour and a quarter later, cramping in his thigh and struggling to contain his emotions, he was unravelling. David Goffin, initially reduced to a quivering wreck by the power of the Edmund forehand, was to wipe him out 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 by answering one surge with another. It left the young British player crushed, probably more than he needed to be, because you would not have predicted this to go five sets. ‘I was upset because I knew I had the chance to beat him,’ said Edmund. ‘It’s not a nice feeling losing from two sets to love up. You’re playing for your country, you’re playing for your teammates. You feel like you’ve let them down. I’ll look back on it and say I did my best. But you’re right in the moment and you’re emotionally attached. I was cramping and lost confidence in my movement.’ He will never have come across anything like this before, and if it comes to it, playing a fifth and deciding rubber would be another level of tension altogether. James Ward, far more experienced, is on standby and could yet be used. If Leon Smith were to have any regrets it would be that he has not blooded Edmund before. As far back as the first round against the USA in San Diego last year Edmund has been expected to make his debut, but in the end Ward was preferred and won a point. Edmund found himself at the start of the team line introduced to the King and Queen of Belgium at the opening ceremony before becoming the first man out in the intimidating atmosphere. Not that he was without support. For all the security fears there were far more British fans than the 10 per cent ticket allocation had suggested. The ratio of Belgian fans to Brits in the crowd of 13,000 was more like five to one. For two sets the locals were largely reduced to stunned silence,
as Edmund teed off on a forehand that is a serious weapon. There is a bit of former world No 1 Jim Courier about him, and not just in their complexion. The way he clubs his forehand is reminiscent, and he also has a relatively simple service action. Of course, if he became remotely as good as the American he would exceed expectations, and there is a long way to go. This contest demonstrated just how far, because Edmund had only played one match that has gone beyond three sets, which always meant that he would need something extraordinary to win. There was no hiding Goffin’s despair as he fell two sets behind, to the point where his serve was near collapse. A toilet break at the end of the second was enough to compose himself, and the world No 100 Edmund started to play more like his ranking. Goffin’s only five-set match came at the French Open in May, and he still lacks stamina. He was showing how good he is by the end, and will play the likely match-deciding rubber against Andy Murray tomorrow.