KYLE LIVES DREAM AS FIFTH BRIT THROUGH
KATIE BOUlTER felt ‘ devastated’, but for Kyle Edmund winning a match at Wimbledon was the fulfilment of a dream. So, just another day in The Championships when the home players had their hopes piled high on what most try, but fail, to approach as just another tournament.
At the end of it, there were four British losses and one home win — Edmund finally opening his account at SW19 by beating compatriot Alex Ward, the lowliest qualifier in the draw.
It means that by the second round there are five GB players left, which is par for the course. It is the same number who have made it for the last three years.
This is not a disaster along the line of 2010 (when only one got through) but nor is it time to hang out the bunting. The English patient remains sickly, but there are enough of Britain’s cosmopolitan bunch good enough to offer hope that domestic interest can be sustained for several days yet.
While there will be groans about the failure of British wildcards, it is the same most years in that the results largely follow the rankings. Four GB winners (Andy Murray, Jo Konta, Edmund and Heather Watson) beat players ranked below them, while others lost to those ranked higher.
The exception was Aljaz Bedene, who knocked out 21st seed Ivo Karlovic on Monday and can progress further today against Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur.
The bottom line is that Britain’s tennis culture does not produce sufficient numbers of good players, and there are no signs that it is about to do so imminently.
Those who are good enough to be representing GB at Wimbledon have one thing in common, which is parents who understand what it takes to excel in tennis.
Only yesterday one leading British coach was bemoaning how too many mothers and fathers think their offspring will soar through the lower tiers and make it to the top level with minimum fuss. If only.
Edmund and his family have always grasped what is required and tomorrow the 22-year- old from Yorkshire will face 15th seed Gael Monfils after seeing off Ward 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
‘It’s the one tournament you want to do well in more than any other,’ said Edmund. ‘To say that I’ve won one now is nice. But it’s just one match. It’s important not to get too high.’
He has now won at least a round at the last four Grand Slams.
Boulter, 20, pushed world No 60 Christina McHale impressively close, but lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 despite an early break in the deciding set. ‘I’m completely devastated in this one moment,’ she said. ‘It’s my Wimbledon debut, it is something that I have dreamed of since I was a little girl.’
Fellow wildcards Brydan Klein and James Ward lost in straight sets. Ward was not embarrassed in losing 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to ex-top tenner Marcos Baghdatis, and Klein fell away 7-6, 6-3, 6-0 to Japan’s Yuichi Sugita.