Kyle Edmund ready for Wimbledon showdown with Novak Djokovic
Edmund in uncharted waters at the All England Club and, on Centre Court, faces one of the world's very best trying to find a way back to the top of the game
Saturday 7 July 2018 17:34, UK
Thanks to Andy Murray, certain things are now expected of the British No 1 and, as Kyle Edmund is about to find out, going toe to toe with Novak Djokovic is one of them, writes Paul Prenderville.
However, meeting the 12-time Grand Slam champion while England are in a World Cup quarter-final is probably not one of them but Edmund - increasingly comfortable in his newfound and earlier-than-expected status at the top of the British game - is happy to cope with the clash, which includes having a few digs at his Swedish coach Fredrik Rosengren.
"I don't mind either way - I'm a tennis player, so I'm here to do my job first, but we'll see," Edmund told the media on Thursday evening after his win over Bradley Klahn.
"They'll know more than me about the viewing figures - hopefully, it will be a success for both of us; England and myself.
"Hopefully we get to watch the match. Hilts [Edmund's coach Mark Hilton] is obviously English, it's been a bit of fun the way it's worked out, that we're playing Sweden."
As it turns out, Edmund is scheduled third on Centre Court against Djokovic, probably around 5pm when extra-time and penalties could be underway.
Like Murray before him, Edmund finds himself the sole hope for home fans but this year's Wimbledon can already be deemed a success, having reached the third round for the first time.
It is easy to forget that Edmund has not been here before at the All England Club - it's his sixth visit to SW19 in the men's event and in the previous five he has chalked up just one win, which came last year after four first-round exits.
"I think, as you play more and more matches on courts like that, you feel a little bit more comfortable with it," he said after a first-ever win on Centre Court.
"You learn about yourself each time you go out there. Whatever it is, in terms of playing Arthur Ashe, Centre Court - playing twice on Rod Laver helped me at the start of the year.
"Each time you play on those courts, I think it helps. It's my second time on Centre, you could say it's reasonably sort of new. It's always an amazing experience, literally playing in the home of tennis. So many epic matches on there, countless legends playing on those courts, just getting the opportunity is a massive privilege."
Edmund has admitted that clay is his preferred surface while the hard courts are where he has previously impressed in Grand Slams, not least the surprise run to the semi-final in Melbourne earlier this year.
Murray was similar, having grown up playing on the red dirt in Spain, and Edmund would do well to learn from the Scot, who also struggled during his first Wimbledon before embracing his status and becoming the nation's two-time champion and Centre Court darling.
Edmund has a way to go before he reaches that status, but the nation's hopes fall to him on a day where he faces a titan of the game.
The Serb is working his way back to his best. A final at Queen's and two routine victories this week, with just 12 games dropped, should serve as a warning to Edmund, who is not taking anything for granted.
"Playing Djokovic is always tough, when you beat someone, it always gives you that confidence, the belief that you can beat them," said Edmund, who scoffed when the phrase "good again" was linked to his opponent.
"He's obviously playing well, winning pretty comfortably but yeah, every match is different - he's one of the best players in the world, one of the best players of all time."
Edmund's one victory over Djokovic was a three-set win in Madrid in their last meeting earlier this year, the first time he had taken a set off his illustrious opponent, who is well aware of what he faces on Saturday.
"He started working with a new coach that I've known for years, because he worked with Mario Ancic and [Robin] Soderling. He's known as a very good coach, has that professionalism and discipline - I think Kyle and him are a great fit," Djokovic said.
"Kyle is very devoted, he has very good ethics, a hard worker, puts in the hours necessary on the court and in the gym to get himself to best possible shape. You can see the results are showing, he's a top-20 player of the world, going towards the top 10.
"He's a hometown favourite now that Murray is not here, there's a lot of expectation and pressure on his back but he's handling it pretty well so far."
Now 31, Djokovic seems to be in a better place than any other time over the last two years. His press conference on Wednesday was an all-encompassing affair as, with a smile, he discussed being moved to the outside courts for the first time in almost 10 years, his admiration for Roger Federer and his latest diet.
He was moving well in the victory over Horacio Zeballos and, while in the past his openness with the media was a sure sign of success, it isn't necessarily the case these days.
But on Saturday, the scene is set for Djokovic to be inspired on the biggest stage in front of the biggest crowd and renew a rivalry with a British No 1. This time it's a different man who will be standing opposite him, but he will still carry the majority of the Centre Court support.
Murray's only Wimbledon meeting with Djokovic was the 2013 Wimbledon final - a landmark moment for the Scot, who claimed his second Wimbledon crown. Something similar for Edmund may not be quite as seismic on the national scale but, for the new British No 1, it would represent another huge step in this week of firsts.
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Our next tennis action comes from the German Open in Hamburg. Watch the action live on Sky Sports Arena from Monday, July 23 from 10am.
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