KYLE EDMUND robbed Andy Murray of an unwanted record with a sensational victory.
The British No 2 is into his first Grand Slam quarter final after bravely and brilliantly turning round his clash with Andreas Seppi to win 6-7 7-5 6-2 6-3.
lNeither player had reached a Grand Slam quarter final before and, if Edmund was unaware beforehand, the announcer at the Hisense Arena made sure he knew another interesting fact.
No British man apart from Murray had made the last eight in Melbourne since John Lloyd in 1985.
For further context, he might have added that the last non-Murray male Brit to go that far in singles at any Grand Slam singles was Tim Henman at the US Open in 2004.
It looked likely to stay that way when solid Seppi led erratic Edmund by a set and a break.
But the Brit produced a superb, sustained burst of controlled aggression and amazing serving to clinch a truly special win.
Edmund said: “I know people at home are waking up in the early hours of the morning, so I’m grateful for that.” Including, one suspects, a still jet-lagged Murray.
In a tight first set, Edmund and Seppi served cleverly and effectively from the start until Edmund’s level dropped and he had to save five break points in the eighth game.
But he did so calmly and impressively, before digging himself out of a 0/30 hole in his next service game in similar fashion.
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The Brit then received a medical timeout for a shoulder problem before forcing a tiebreak.
It went with serve until Seppi punished Edmund for running round his backhand far too often with a forehand winner and then produced another off the other wing to take it 7-4.
The first-set statistics told the story, with Edmund hitting 18 winners but 23 unforced errors, while Seppi’s counts were 16 and 5.
Essentially, the Italian was winning by being solid and then taking his chances when they came.
When Seppi broke the Edmund serve in the third game of the second set, it looked all over bar the shouting.
But the Brit’s response was to increase his aggression – not quite going for broke, yet close – and it paid off. Bigly.
Edmund immediately created his first break points of the match and took the fourth. Then he cancelled the apparently inevitable tiebreak by breaking Seppi again.
Minutes later he was 3-0 up with a break in the third set and the match had been turned on its head.
Now it was Seppi making mistakes and Edmund holding serve with ruthless authority. Another break brought the set and the Italian left the court to gather his thoughts in the toilet.
When he reappeared, it was to chants of “Italia!” from his countrymen in the stands, who knew it was now or never for the 33 year old.
It turned out to be never.
Edmund had three chances to break the Seppi serve in the second game of the fourth set.
The Italian stood firm, though, and did so again in the sixth game despite being unhappy that a foot fault call had given the Brit the second of two opportunities.
But he finally faltered in the eighth and Edmund earned the chance to serve for the match. Which he took.
Edmund said: “It’s a good feeling.
“I don’t feel that I got off to the best of starts.
“But when I broke him in the last game of the second set, I took control and had the momentum.”
Next up, in uncharted territory, will be the winner of the upcoming blockbuster of Nick Kyrgios against Grigor Dimitrov.
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