OH YOU BRITTY THING

Edmund says he can handle the pressure of flying the flag in France

KYLE EDMUND was a cut above the rest by becoming the last Brit standing for a third consecutive Grand Slam.

The British No.1 needed treatment on a gash on his racquet hand before stitching up Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in four sets.

While Heather Watson and Cameron Norrie were in less good nick, the Australian Open semi-finalist set up an exciting third-round clash with Italian Fabio Fognini.

Jo Konta and Andy Murray at Wimbledon last year were the last British players to outlast the world No.17 in a Major – and he is now getting used to the spotlight previously shining on the Scot.

“You just focus on what you’re doing really,” he said. “It doesn’t change your way of thinking. If you’re the last or the first to go out, you’re just focusing on your job at hand and getting on with it.”

Edmund’s hand was the problem in his roller-coaster match against the world No.45 when he raced through the first set then called the trainer after losing the second equally rapidly. “I had a paper cut in my finger and it was splitting when I was playing so I just wanted to cover it,” he added.

“Once I got it taped, it was OK. It was job done in the end.” He won 6-0 1-6 6-2 6-3.

A rematch with his Australian Open conqueror Marin

Cilic awaits in the fourth round if Edmund can overcome temperamental world No.18 Fognini. “He’s an emotional player – that’s just the way he is as a personality,” said the more down-to-earth Yorkshireman. Cameron Norrie took No.15 seed Lucas Pouille to a fourthset tiebreak in a match held over from Wednesday night before losing 6-2 6-4 5-7 7-6. “It was all learning,” he said. “If I played it again, I would probably play a little more aggressive in the bigger moments.”

The new British No.2 also needs to work on his ref rant after he was adjudged to have touched the net in the penultimate point of the match.

“I may or may not have touched it, I’m not really sure, but it was only one point in the match,” he reasoned.

Told afterwards that an Argentine radio commentator called him Chuck Norris after the action star, he laughed: “I guess it’s an honour to be compared to him.”

Heather Watson needed eight attempts and 68 minutes before holding serve against No.16 seed Elise Mertens then lost 6-3 6-4. “I’m playing well, I’m happy,” she said.