Australian Open 2018: Kyle Edmund beats Kevin Anderson to give Brits perfect start
British No 2 Edmund's brilliant win should give injured Andy Murray something to smile about
KYLE EDMUND notched the biggest win of his career to keep the British flag flying in the men's singles.
Edmund, the only Brit in the male main draw, came from behind to beat US Open finalist and No 11 seed Kevin Anderson 6-7 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 in an epic battle lasting nearly four hours.
Injured Andy Murray, who is still in Melbourne recovering from his hip operation, had posted a video of a baby crying on Twitter to sum up his feelings about waking up on the first morning of the opening Grand Slam of the year to find himself not in the draw.
But Edmund, a long-time protege of Murray, gave his mentor something to smile about by mid-afternoon.
It was deja-vu for the Brit and South African Anderson, who had contested a five-set epic in their only previous meeting, in the third round of last year's French Open.
And Edmund gained revenge for his Paris disappointment with a ballsy and brilliant victory.
Edmund saved a couple of break points on the way to the first-set tiebreak but Anderson claimed it with two forehand winners.
The South African had served so well that Edmund did not win a point for the best part of an hour, let alone fashion a chance to break, until the sixth game of the second set. But rhe Brit took his second opportunity and then served out the set confidently.
The third also went with serve until Anderson broke Edmund at the fourth time of asking in a seventh game interrupted by a rain break.
Back came Edmund, taking in the second game of the fourth and showing mental strength to save three break points against him in the next before opening up a 3-0 lead.
The Brit went into a fifth set for only the fifth time in his career. The experienced Anderson drew first blood in the second game but Edmund broke back immediately and then converted his third break point of the seventh game.
Edmund did not let the opportunity slip, serving out the match to love and making world No 12 Anderson the highest-ranked victim of a career which promises to give British fans at least something to shout about after Murray retires.