Andy Murray’s third match of his 2018 comeback ended with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Kyle Edmund in round two of the Nature Valley International on Wednesday. Murray accounted himself well enough but eventually succumbed to his fellow Brit after one hour and 40 minutes.
The former world No. 1 got off to an inauspicious start when he dropped serve in the opening game and then failed to convert any of four break points immediately thereafter. That lone break proved to be enough for Edmund, who did not go to deuce in any of his next four service games and wrapped up the first set with a routine hold at 5-4.
Two breaks propelled Edmund to a 5-2 advantage in the second, at which point he finally cracked for the first time on serve while trying to close things out. On his next chance at 5-4, however, the world No. 18 managed to seal the deal and send Murray packing–presumably for Wimbledon.
Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUOR_QGzs-0
“There is no danger of me injuring my hip more than any other stage,” Murray explained. “Two weeks ago I practiced with Kyle and I didn’t win a game. I’ve made decent progress in the past couple of weeks and have been somewhat competitive in the matches I have played.
“So I don’t want to go out there (at Wimbledon) to just play; I want to compete properly. If I’m in the right place, physically feel ready, and mentally in the right place, then I’ll go for it…. It’s whether I can do myself justice. I want to go out there and compete.”
The 31-year-old is expected to make his Wimbledon decision before the main-draw ceremony is held on Friday morning.
As for Edmund, he advances to an Eastbourne quarterfinal contest against Mikhail Kukushkin.
“To beat [Murray], it sort of shows I have improved a lot,” the No. 2 seed said. “It’s difficult to put it into words. To have that win definitely gives me a lot of confidence and belief. I guess the mental side of that, as well, it’s a tough thing…. It’s a nice win.”
“I’m really happy that Kyle’s doing really well,” Murray noted. “It’s great for British tennis…. Obviously this is a really good thing for British tennis that, with the stage of my career I’m at, (there is) another player at the top of the game. Hopefully he’ll be competing for the biggest tournaments.”
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