Kyle Edmund beaten by Novak Djokovic at Miami Open
Saturday 26 March 2016 09:23, UK
Kyle Edmund gave a display of his quality but could not stave off a straight-sets loss to Novak Djokovic at the Miami Open.
The Beverley-based 21-year-old lost 6-3 6-3 on the Stadium court in round two, but earned rare praise from the world No 1.
Djokovic stamped his authority on the first set in the early stages, storming into a 4-0 lead before Edmund finally got on the board - surprisingly, via a break of serve.
That helped him win three games out of four but Djokovic closed out the set and then broke twice in the second to secure victory.
He warmly congratulated Edmund at the net at the end of a display which will have earned the world No 87 plenty of new admirers.
"He definitely does have the potential to step up and get up to the top of the game," Djokovic said. "Very pleasantly surprised with his game, his passion on the court."
Edmund, who was born in South Africa but moved to Yorkshire at the age of three, was surprised with what Djokovic told him at the net after the match.
"He just said, 'Well done', and if I keep playing like that I've got a great future ahead," Edmund said. "It's very nice to hear something like that from him."
Djokovic believes Edmund is in a good position due to the fact he has world No 2 Andy Murray as a British compatriot.
"Having Andy Murray as somebody who can mentor him is a great advantage for him," Djokovic said. "He has a lot of time in front of him but he has made the most of what he has done so far."
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Edmund was proud of how he battled back after losing the first four games of the match, breaking Djokovic in the fifth and finding his form from there.
He said: "When I broke him at 4-0, that got me on the board and from there I thought I played reasonable tennis," Edmund said.
"I gave it my best and played very good. I put my game out there. It was a good experience. I'm quite pleased with it."
Edmund displayed courageous shot-making, although 37 unforced errors proved his undoing.
"I would have been disappointed with myself if I hadn't put out the level. There's no point in coming off and going, 'Well, I'm OK'," Edmund said.
"I put my game out there and tried to play aggressive tennis. I showed it can work. I need to find a balance."
