Kyle Edmund ready for Wimbledon bid after tough year
Despite a tough year, Edmund will return to Centre Court where he pushed eventual champion Novak Djokovic in four sets last year
Sunday 30 June 2019 17:00, UK
Kyle Edmund says it is "a very nice surprise" to be backk on Centre Court and is hoping to repeat one of his best Wimbledon performances.
The British No faces Spain's Jaume Munar, looking to recapture last year's form, where he enjoyed a best ever showing in reaching the third round, a few months after reaching the Australian Open semi-finals in what was his best Grand Slam run.
In the 2018 tournament, Edmund took the opening set on Centre Court before Djokovic prevailed in four, but he hopes the experience can stand him in good stead against world No 88 Munar, who has never won a match on grass and has lost his last six on all surfaces.
"It's an exciting match to be on Centre again, a very nice surprise when I saw that," Edmund said.
"It was probably the best match I played at Wimbledon. I ended up playing the winner, so he was playing very well. The best atmosphere and match I've been involved in at Wimbledon, for sure.
"I think every time you go on Centre Court or Court One, you get the feel of it. It's always in the bank for next time you go in."
Edmund arrived at the All England Club on the back of his best week of the season, with a run to the semi-finals in Eastbourne, but is has been a disappointing year overall for the 24-year-old.
"Three matches inside a week is not something I've had for a while," Edmund said, who has also been troubled by injury.
"Good to get that, come through some pressure situations. Learn from my loss. Just helped me a lot with being on court tennis-wise, with my confidence."
After the highs of last season, which ended with his first ATP Tour title and a place in the world's top 15, this year has been rather different.
A knee injury has played a big part, with Edmund missing most of the first two months of the season and then retiring during his second-round match at the French Open and admitting it was still an issue.
He has pulled up well after Eastbourne and will not be giving any thought to the scrutiny on his shoulders as the leading British man at Wimbledon.
"I do my best, if I come unstuck, people have opinions about it, I move on," he added.
"You always want to do well at Wimbledon. It's the biggest tournament in the world. But if you go on court tense and feeling pressure to win, then I don't think it's a great recipe to relax into your game and play freely."
Edmund is one of six British men competing in the singles main draw this year, although the only one playing on the opening day.
Five others will take to the courts on Tuesday, including a fellow East Yorkshireman in the shape of 19-year-old wild card Paul Jubb, and the current British No 1 had a few words of advice.
"When he got the wild card, I sent him a message saying 'Well done, amazing opportunity, as best you can try and enjoy these two weeks because it's probably the best two weeks you're going to have as a professional tennis player.'"
We will have Wimbledon covered via our website skysports.com/tennis. On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation
