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ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2017

Kyle Edmund

Paris, France

K. EDMUND/G. ELIAS

6-3, 6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Well, you must be happy to come through in straight sets. Bit of a wobble do you think in the third, or did he just lift his level?
KYLE EDMUND: I don't know. I was happy with the three sets, just the match in general. I'll try and focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

I thought I played well, dictated with my game. I thought I served very well, like, controlled my service games well. You know, put a lot of first serves in, which I think he found that hard to return especially standing quite far back.

So, yeah, I was just happy with my balance of play, the way I was thinking out there. When I was in a bit of trouble, I was able to regain momentum well. So, yeah, just very happy with the performance for my first round, yeah.

Q. It's the third year in a row you have made the second round here, so how proud are you of that?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, it's okay. I mean, it's only a first round. I'm happy, but, you know, it's only first round. It's not like I have made semis or finals for three years in a row. So it's good that I think each year I've definitely gotten better. My first five-set win, first Grand Slam match came here. I remember it was so very exciting. Last year was a great match against Basilashvili in four sets. This year I've won in three sets. So it's good progression.

But, yeah, I just felt I was the better player today and deserved the win.

Q. Your next opponents are still playing. How much of that have you been watching and how much will you now go and follow what is going on to sort of prepare?
KYLE EDMUND: Well, I can't follow it because I'm in here doing these interviews right now. So I can't really follow it.

But I was having something to eat and I just saw the score and saw that Olivo was a set and a break up. So see what happens there. But there's a day off tomorrow, so there's plenty of time. If I want to watch it, I can. But there's plenty of time to discuss and reflect on my match.

But, yeah, we'll see who comes through and go from there. But I think, you know, I'll be doing this stuff for at least 45 minutes, so the score will be very different when I finish. So we'll see.

Q. Would you like to play Tsonga here or would you rather it's Olivo?
KYLE EDMUND: Either. They're both -- they're both going to play well. Tsonga is, obviously, a very good player. But if Olivo wins, it means he's playing well, beating a good, quality player. I mean, got to be playing my best tennis or my better tennis to beat either of them.

Q. But playing a Frenchman at Roland Garros, is that something that you would like to do?
KYLE EDMUND: I don't know.

Q. Do you like that, you know, that sort of a big occasion of that might be on a big court?
KYLE EDMUND: I don't like it or dislike it. As a Brit, you know, I've only played in Great Britain for Davis Cup once in my home court. The rest of time we're playing the away team, so playing the away crowd, I guess. And it's only three tournaments a year where I get home advantage. The rest of the time I'm playing away.

So a lot of time you get used to playing against the other crowds. Like I said, Stephane Robert two years ago I played on quite a loud crowd, and we just played France the other week. So, you know, you expect the crowd to be supporting their home player. So we'll see what happens. You just accept it. Like, you know, I played Isner last year at US Open. They're going to cheer for him. That's just expected, basically.

Q. Kyle, can you tell us about how much you think playing on clay suits your game?
KYLE EDMUND: Yes. I mean, I like playing clay, especially because the nature of the clay court surface, different trajectory of the ball. I like to play with a lot of spin and height, and that -- the clay, I think, gives you a lot of results, like, you benefit from that on the clay, mixing up the heights.

So your shots get rewarded, so that's why I think it suits my game. I like to play the height and spin. Especially the surface here as well, when you do play aggressively and flatten out, because I think the nature of the Roland Garros courts are -- I find the clay a lot thinner than other clay courts. So the ball does get through as well.

So I think your good play gets rewarded here very well, so maybe that's why, you know, I've had some -- you know, I've had some success here. I have won matches in the senior event and, obviously, had some success in the juniors. I think that's why it helps me.

Q. There was one point early in the third set when you hit a winning backhand volley and you turned to your camp with a really, really big smile. How much were you enjoying yourself out there today?
KYLE EDMUND: I was, obviously, up in the match. It helps to be up in the match. So if I was losing I probably wouldn't smile. But it's just human nature, isn't it? You tend to enjoy yourself when you're winning.

At that particular point, it was just because he had hit a short ball, and I had come in on a forehand -- a backhand slice. And he had the ball in his racquet. It could have gone either way and I knew that and I guessed and I happened to guess right. So almost like I stole the point from him, so that's what I found amusing at that point.

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