ERROR AS EDMUND CRASHES OUT
what you have. Some parts I was pretty good and some parts I gave away. I had break points in the fifth set, I just couldn’t get them, and when he had his break points he did. The margin is very small.”
Edmund took a nasty tumble at the end of the first set and then had lengthy treatment for a hip problem – and also seemed to have problems with his serve throughout the match. The Liverpool fan was 3-1 up before losing control of the first set and then in the interrupted second fought back to find some rhythm.
The erratic Fognini, who at one stage received a warning from the umpire for smashing his racket into the ground and always seemed to be on the verge of exploding in anger, looked to be out of it as Edmund then took the third set.
But there were way too many basic mistakes – 48 unforced errors – in his game for that to last, as Edmund was broken in the second game of the fourth, and although he broke back, a terrible drop shot into the net in the final game handed the set to the Italian.
In sapping heat the deciding fifth set was tight but Edmund then crucially wasted two break points at 2-2 and the match seemed to drift away from him.
In the final game, the British player was serving to stay in the tournament but found himself 0-40 down, and although he saved a match point he sent another backhand long which meant the end.
There was more British disappointment when Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares lost their second round Men’s Doubles clash against Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry 4-6 7-5 4-6.
Heather Watson crashed out of the Women’s Doubles with partner Tatiana Maria, losing 6-1 2-6 5-7 to Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.