Seven years ago, on a hard court with barely anyone watching in the Mexican city of San Luis Potosí, the 16-year-old Kyle Edmund first showed that he had the mettle to win big matches.
It was the Junior Davis Cup final and Edmund, covered from head to toe in as much sunscreen as possible to protect his milk-white skin, was up against Italy’s Gianluigi Quinzi in a rubber that would win Britain the title for the first time. He struggled at first, his forehand not quite working as he wanted. But, unlike almost all of the players on display in Mexico that week, he resisted tantrums when things didn’t go his way. He stuck to his plan, waiting for chances to punish the short ball in a way that is now becoming very familiar to British fans. Edmund won 6-3, 6-4 and I was privileged to be the only journalist watching.
He was — and still is — highly mature. When we sat down then and a few other times in the next couple of years as he took his first dips into interviews with the press, every answer made you feel that he would go far. Did he need to break into the top 100 early? No. “Boris Becker won Wimbledon at 17 but that wouldn’t happen now because boys of that age are playing junior events. Could you imagine a 17-year-old beating Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal? It’s impossible. You don’t get to where you want to at 18. It means you have to be patient.”
He certainly has been. But, like Andy Murray, he seeks perfection too, taking boxing classes to improve his footwork. Everything is about improving. You don’t see him falling out of nightclubs. “You don’t want to retire thinking you wish you had worked harder,” he told me in 2013. A few months earlier John McEnroe hit with him at the French Open and told him he had no slice backhand. He does now.
Edmund is accommodating, happily playing along in 2016 when The Times asked him to hit tennis balls covered in chalk again and again to try to get the perfect picture. Perhaps the greatest endorsement of his personality is how much Murray likes him. Edmund was invited to training camps in Miami and to his wedding, something that he felt was a real honour. His present for the couple? A caricature of a kilted Andy, Kim and their two dogs either side.
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Analysis: Briton can count on his serve
Serve: Edmund will look to win free points on his accurate serve. He has posted some of the best numbers of his career here. Fredrik Rosengren, Edmund’s coach, explains why: “He is using his legs much more. It was to get the toss higher and more in front so he has time to use his legs.”
Aces Edmund 65 Dimitrov 44
Baseline: This match will be won from the baseline, where Edmund has had more success during this tournament, not only from his trademark forehand but also on the backhand side.
Backhand winners Edmund 33 (in 1,021 points), Dimitrov 17 (in 1,013 points)
Fitness: While Edmund has spent only 26 more minutes on the court than Dimitrov, below, his matches have had a more gruelling feel to them, particularly the five-set, third-round match against Nikoloz Basilashvili in the extreme heat on Friday. He certainly had a weary look about him after yesterday’s victory against Andreas Seppi.
Time on court Edmund 11:59, Dimitrov 11:33
Experience: Dimitrov, at 26, is three years older, and is more used to the big stage. Last year, on the Rod Laver Arena, he came close to defeating Rafael Nadal in a thrilling semi-final. This is the biggest match of Edmund’s career, and he is bound to feel more nerves than Dimitrov.
Previous grand-slam quarter-finals Edmund 0, Dimitrov 3