Kyle Edmund: I’ve tasted success and I’m hungry for more

Cilic will face Roger Federer or Chung Hyeon in the final

THOMAS PETER/REUTERS

“I am so proud of Kyle Edmund,” Rosengren said, shaking his head in wonderment at what has played out in Melbourne over the past 11 days. “Unbelievable. [I am] so proud of him.

“I can tell you, when I was with Kyle one week ago talking about his tennis, and then yesterday when we were sitting talking, I can’t tell you how much he changed in one week. To hear him say, ‘I have the feeling I can play with the best players’ — that is a great thing for a coach to hear. I can say, ‘You are good, you are great, you’re the king, you can go out there.’ If you believe that, it’s another story. But he has really believed in his level and it’s so good.”

It is a mark of how far Edmund has come in such a short space of time that he was left gutted by his showing in a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 defeat by Cilic, the Croatian No 6 seed. He had walked on to the Rod Laver Arena court, in front of 15,000 people, with full faith in himself that he could become the fourth British man to reach a grand-slam final in the open era. But the combination of an experienced opponent and a troubling hip injury could not be overcome.

“I’m definitely disappointed about it, but it’s one of those things where I have to look at the whole week,” Edmund said. “Making the semi-finals of a grand-slam is definitely something that I can be very happy with and really take that forward and build from it.

“This type of tournament just gives you the bug to want more. Once you get a taste, it’s like, ‘Yeah, I want more of this.’ It has been so good. It’s the experience to be here. One of the biggest tournaments of the world, and making a good run and beating top players.

“I have also played some long matches. There’s nothing better than winning best-of-five-set matches in tennis tournaments. It really always feels better when you win these matches at the grand-slams. It’s a test of so many things like endurance, mental and physical. To be able to win five matches like I have, it’s really pleasing.”

Edmund was struggling to move by the end of the contest

LUKAS COCH/EPA

It was after losing the first set that Edmund spoke to the trainer, before heading off court to receive treatment on his hip. He did an admirable job in hanging on in the second set despite his hindered lateral movement, but the writing was on the wall when he lost the tie-break. Towards the end of his two hours and 18 minutes on court, he was giving up on some of the shots that required a dash to reach.

Leon Smith, Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain, was sitting in Edmund’s box and must have wondered if this was the end of any hope of his star man — in the absence of Andy Murray — playing against Spain in the first-round tie on the clay of Marbella next week. Edmund, though, is still hopeful. “I’ll do everything I can to play, because I want to play,” he said.

Edmund was uncharacteristically tetchy with John Blom, the umpire, perhaps a sign that he was feeling the pressure in the biggest match of his career. His first exchange with Blom came after just one game, disputing a foot fault that had been called against him. “First time in my life, it’s a bit strange,” Edmund said.

In the fifth game of the second set, Edmund erupted like never before. A serve out wide by Cilic had been called out by the line judge, but Hawk-Eye showed it landed in. Blom awarded the point to Cilic rather than replaying it.

“Get the referee, I’m not having it,” Edmund roared. His argument to Andreas Egli, the referee, was that the incorrect out call had been made during his return swing, hence putting him off. Blom and Egli were not for budging, though, and they were vindicated by television replays.

“It’s one point, it doesn’t decide the match,” Edmund said. “I didn’t agree with the decision or the explanation he gave me. I have to deal with that and move on. I had my say, made my point and that was it.”

So, where does Edmund go from here? On to the clay, hopefully in Marbella, before heading for a stretch of tournaments in South America. His decision to play on clay in February, rather than on hard, is a sign of how much he rates his game on the surface.

Providing he does not suffer a slump, his efforts here will be enough to earn a top-32 seeding at the French Open and Wimbledon, avoiding higher-ranked players in the early rounds. He will particularly need that on grass, a surface with which he has not yet got to grips.

Rather ominously for his future opponents, despite his strong performances here, Rosengren has picked up on areas of his game to improve, areas which he prefers to keep to himself. “It doesn’t matter how good he plays, I will always find stuff I want to work on,” the 57-year-old Swede said. “We have goals, we have what he needs to improve, so we will continue that.”