THE KYLE HIGH CLUB
AUSTRALIAN OPEN Edmund ready to hit new heights
® from IAIN STEWART
KYLE EDMUND vowed his first taste of the big time will not be his last.
The British No.2’s stunning run at the Australian Open ended with a 6-2 7-6 6-2 defeat by sixth seed Marin Cilic in yesterday’s semi-final.
Surprise package Edmund has banked £500,000 in prize money and he leaves Melbourne as a top-30 player for the first time.
Edmund, 23, is determined his heroics will not be a flash in the pan.
He said: “I can be very happy with the way I’ve gone about things.
“I got the experience of going deep in a Grand Slam for the first time. I’ve played a lot of tough matches. I’ve won some tough matches and beat good players.
“This just gives you the bug to want more. Once you get a taste it’s like, ‘Yeah, I want more of this’. I’ll definitely go away from the whole week feeling positive.”
Quality
Under new coach Fredrik Rosengren, Edmund has improved his serve and added mental strength to cope under pressure. But a remarkable run, which included a stunning victory over third seed Grigor Dimitrov, finally ended in disappointment. He said: “Reaching the fourth round of the US Open a few years ago, I beat quality players in Richard Gasquet and John Isner. “I know I can beat those players, it’s just doing it a bit more consistently. What the ranking represents is how consistent players are. So that’s the goal.” Edmund has been battling a hip problem and is a doubt for Britain’s Davis Cup first-round tie in Spain next week. He added: “I’ll do everything I can to play but there is no point going on court if I’m not ready.”