Kyle Edmund needs no reminding about pressure. He is, nonetheless, asked to dwell on it almost daily as the British No 1 in the absence of Andy Murray, which is unfair on the 24-year-old who grew up in Yorkshire, perhaps, but part of the tennis business and, on day one of Wimbledon, he gave full expression to his frustrations with an excellent win on Centre Court over Jaume Munar.
Edmund has had a difficult time of it lately, struggling with a nagging knee injury at the French Open and regrouping with a reasonable run at Eastbourne last week – so a convincing 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win in two and a quarter hours over Rafael Nadal’s talented 22-year-old Mallorcan student was just what he needed to start his Wimbledon campaign.
He next plays the 35-year-old Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, whose left-handedness and experience – not to mention two victories over him – will present Edmund with altogether different challenges on Wednesday.
“I think I played the big moments reasonably well,” Edmund said of his win over Munar, “apart from the end, when I gave him some hope. But I held and broke when I needed to. Overall it was pretty good. I need to improve some stuff. Too many mistakes. I can make it a lot easier for myself.”
The win takes him through to the second round for the third year in a row, although his ambitions are bigger than that. Last year he extended the run to the third round, where he lost in a fine match against the world No 1 and eventual champion, Novak Djokovic.
Some wondered if this match was worth its place on the game’s biggest stage but that is nit-picking. Edmund did what he had to and Munar provided some classy opposition, especially after going 0-4 and 1-5 down in the third set, where he then made the British player work hard all the way to the line.
“It was a really nice surprise on day one to see my name on the schedule for Centre Court,” Edmund said. “Watching it is very cool but getting a chance to play on it is special.”
As for Verdasco, who beat the Polish qualifier Kamil Majchrzak 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, Edmund said, “Both times against him have been three sets [the most recent at the Rome Masters this year]. I have to reflect and see what I can do better. Both [Munar and Verdasco] are completely different, righty, lefty. But both are very aggressive.”
The conclusion to an otherwise flawless display by Edmund was a little messy. Munar, serving to stay in the championship from two sets and 1-5 down, saved match point with a smash from mid-court. He held serve and did well to stay calm while trying to rescue what was obvious to everyone but himself a lost cause.
Edmund looked in control of his game and his emotions as he stepped up to serve out the match but Munar battled his way to break point. Edmund saved with a smash at the net that was a cross between a winning point and a statement of intent. The Spaniard got another look with an adventurous raid on the net – then broke back and held.
Having surrendered a chunk of a lead that looked unassailable, Edmund had to regain his composure, trust in his game and finish the job. Just as the entranced gathering leaned forward for what they surely imagined would be the final act to the drama, Munar called for the trainer to inspect what looked like a paper cut on the middle finger of his right hand.
Serving for a place in the second round, Edmund steeled himself to the task again, racing to two match points, untroubled behind some irresistible groundstrokes. An ace – his fourth of the match – did the job, and a clearly relieved Edmund raised his fist and smiled to the crowd.
“It was good for him to show [his team] how much he does want it, if they didn’t know it already,” John McEnroe observed. “He’s one ofthose likeable guys, hard worker, disciplined and dealing with a knee problem. But of course the better you get, the more pressure you put on yourself.”
The privilege of pressure, Djokovic called it. Everyone wants it. Not everyone handles it.
