As Kyle flops, Evans set to be British No 1

EIGHTEEN months after becoming British men’s No 1, Kyle Edmund will be forced to hand over the status to someone who was still serving a ban when he first gained top spot. Next week Dan Evans is expected to become, officially, Britain’s best player when Edmund — who went down to a sixth consecutive defeat yesterday — drops out of the world’s top 50. Edmund lost 6-4, 7-6 in the first round of the Shanghai Masters to Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, thereby guaranteeing that Evans will leapfrog him next Monday, even though the 29-year-old Midlander lost in the qualifying event in China. Andy Murray and Cam Norrie, who both won yesterday, could still ascend to the top spot, but they would need a spectacular week to do so. Edmund (right) reached the 2018 Australian Open semi-final and won his maiden ATP Tour title in Antwerp last autumn but has been on a downward spiral since. Not only has he suffered persistent minor knee problems, he has also shed his support team, with both his co-coaches Freddie Rosengren and Mark Hilton leaving. Evans has performed consistently since coming back 18 months ago after a year’s ban for social cocaine use. His placing next week will be around the low 40s. In Shanghai, Murray beat world No 56 Argentinian Juan Ignacio Londero 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. It was his first Masters win since spring 2017 and he will play Fabio Fognini today. Norrie took out French baseliner Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-2 and faces Russian US Open finalist Daniil Medvedev.