COOL EDMUND BLAZES A TRAIL
KYLE EDMUND avoided sunburn and a telling off from his mum to reach the last 32 of the Australian Open for the first time yesterday.
The British No.2 proved his opening round win over 11th seed and US Open finalist Kevin Anderson was no fluke as he crushed Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-2 6-2 6-4.
Edmund oozed confidence in baking conditions at Melbourne Park and didn’t give up a break point. He faces Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in the third round.
Edmund’s section of the draw was blown wide open on day one by defeats for seeds Anderson, Jack Sock, Lucas Pouille and Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Edmund, ranked 49 in the world, can now see a route opening up to at least the quarter-finals after beating the 31-year-old, who caused a huge upset 12 months ago when he knocked out six-times champion Novak Djokovic.
With temperatures set to rise to 41C (110F), the red-headed Yorkshireman knows sun block will be as vital as his game plan.
“I got a bit burned on Monday,” he said. “I didn’t put enough on then.
“You’re in the sun quite a bit. I know I have to because of my pale skin. I have to take responsibility. My mum gives me a lecture if I don’t. I knew going into this match that physically I was good.”
Jamie Murray and Brazilian Bruno Soares, men’s doubles champions in 2016, survived a tricky first-round clash.
They had to come from a set down to beat Americans Frances Tiafoe and Donald Young 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Laura Robson, who failed to qualify for the singles, and American partner CoCo Vandeweghe lost in the first round of the women’s doubles.