Unlucky Court 13 for Edmund as British No1 falls at first hurdle again

● Defeated Tsitsipas accuses umpire of bias and tells official ‘You’re all weirdos’

British No 1 Kyle Edmund’s US Open campaign was ended in the first round for the second year running.

The 24-year-old could not join compatriots Johanna Konta and Dan Evans in round two after a dispiriting five-set defeat on unlucky Court 13.

Last year Italian Paolo Lorenzi was the beneficiary of Edmund’s below-par display. Fast forward 12 months and Pablo Andujar, a 33-yearold Spaniard, outlasted the 30th seed.

A close match featuring 13 breaks of serve – seven for Andujar – swung in a marathon fifth game in the deciding set. Edmund was unable to get over the line on his own serve, and did not win another game in a 3-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 defeat.

Earlier, Edmund had recovered from dropping his opening service game to take the first set with relatively little drama, and looked on course for a routine win when a break up in the second. The clubbing Edmund forehand was cranking up to speed and Andujar was struggling to stay with him.but suddenly a sloppy service game saw Edmund 0-40 down and Andujar, ranked 70 in the world, took advantage before running away with the tie-break.

Andujar nicked a tight third set, Edmund responded in kind in the fourth, but he came up short in the decider as Andujar celebrated a first Flushing Meadows win since 2014.

Meanwhile, eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas tumbled out against inspired Russian Andrey Rublev losing 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (9), 7-5.

Tsitsipas was penalised for a coaching violation and later in the match was overheard saying to umpire Damien Dumusois “you’re all weirdos”.

He was unrepentant afterwards, adding: “This chair umpire, I don’t know, he has something against me. I don’t know why.”

Wimbledon semi-finalist Roberto Bautista Agut was another seed to bite the dust.

Bautista Agut, seeded 10, lost 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan.

John Isner, the 14th seed, beat Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-lopez in straight sets.