British interest in the Australian Open is still alive after Kyle Edmund won his third round match. The 23 year-old overcame a mid-match slump to win 7-6, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 against Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Both players were deemed to play the third round. Edmund secured an unlikely win against 11th seed Kevin Anderson in the first round, and a more routine win over Denis Istomin in the second. Basilashvili defeated Gerald Melzer in the first round. He could have played Frenchman Lucas Pouille in the second. However, the 16th seed lost in the first round for the second year running. Bsilashvili instead defeated Ruben Bemelmans.
Edmund lost his serve early in the first. However, the Briton’s forehand soon took control. Basilashvili double-faulted three times to hand the break back. Edmund’s forehand took control to win the tie break 7-0, and lead 3-1 in the second.
However, Basilashvili was no slouch in reaching the third round, and he retrieved the break. Edmund’s big weapon, his forehand, started missing. This contributed to Basilashvili winning seven straight games, levelling the set, and taking the lead in the third. Despite dropping serve in the third, Basilashvili quickly recovered and took the lead.
Edmund regrouped quickly to break immediately in the fourth. Despite some determined defence from Basilashvili, in a game lasting nearly twenty minutes, Edmund secured the double break. A quick hold and another break saw Edmund level and take the momentum in the blistering Melbourne heat.
Basilashvili to his credit kept pace through much of the 5th set. He saved a pair of break points as Edmund, serving first, kept applying scoreboard pressure.
Basilashvili earned himself a break point in the eleventh game, but Edmund drew a backhand error. The Georgian then capitulated in his own service game minutes later to give Edmund the win.
Edmund waits for the winner of the match between Andreas Seppi and Ivo Karlovic. All seeds in the section including Jack Sock, Kevin Anderson, and Lucas Pouille lost in the first round.
