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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 15, 2018

Kyle Edmund

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

K. EDMUND/K. Anderson

6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was the highest ranked player you've beaten, big stage. Does it feel like your best result?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, really good result for me. It was great to win at the end like that. You know, so many positive reasons. Just getting through a tough match like that. Also a quality player. Had a good year last year, started the year this year really well.

Just happy, you know, going down a set, coming back. Just overall thought, you know, personal satisfaction, the hours you put in, training, et cetera, so many things like that. Those type of results make it, you know, just really feel good, worth it basically. So really happy.

Q. The rain break came at a bad time. After losing that set, you didn't seem to let that worry you.
KYLE EDMUND: No, but it's not going to help you if you start getting down about it. A shame that happened, but it did. Yeah, just bounced back. That's it really.

Yeah, especially against Kevin, you know you're not going to get many opportunities. You really have to be ready when they do come. And, yeah, it was good the fourth set I broke him, 2-Love, then Love-40 down, 3-Love, big moments in the match. Yeah, it was important.

Q. Is that what it is, how you handle the big moments? You seemed to pass all of them with flying colors.
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, it's good. Like I said, the key moments -- the moments we have chances, it's so key to take them. You know, Kevin, he just serves himself out of trouble so much. Very difficult to read it. So when you get a racquet on the ball, it really has to go in the court. I thought I did a pretty good job. I'm always picky. Some returns I would have liked to have done better at stages.

I think when I needed to, I got the ball in play as much as I could. Really, you know, what's the word? I took chances basically, and they paid off. Really calculated risks, I'd say. It was good. Especially in the fifth set, going down a break, then breaking him twice in a set to win it is pleasing.

Q. Jamie Murray said you came down to breakfast today after the Liverpool win. How much of a boost was that? How did you stay positive? You had to come from a set down, two sets to one down, a break down in the decider.
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, good result, wasn't it (smiling)? Beating City.

Yeah, I spoke to a couple of friends, sent me a text, saying they were at the game. They said it was the best atmosphere it's been at Anfield for a long time, so it was pleasing.

Yeah, no Cortinho or Van Dijk. So it's good that the team was able to beat them.

But yeah, what did you say about the chances?

Q. How did you stay positive after going a set down twice, then a break down in the decider?
KYLE EDMUND: Not really how did I stay positive; just thinking positively. No point in getting down about it. I mean, easier said than done.

Of course, everyone gets angry. It's human nature. But I just knew that it's tennis. We ended up four hours on court. For four hours it's not going to be like that all the time. It's going to be up and down. I knew I would get the opportunity to break him. Just deal with it when it happens and move on.

Like I said, to break him twice in the one set, in the fifth, was good how I reacted.

Q. Have you had much history with Istomin before?
KYLE EDMUND: No.

Q. He obviously had a big result here last year.
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I don't think I played him before. I practiced with him once maybe, or warmed up with him. Yeah, had a good win last year.

Yeah, I haven't really thought about it too much because of the match I've just finished, recovered, ate. For sure I'll check about it tomorrow with my coach, see what's going on, game plan.

But, yeah, he's obviously one of those guys that's always really solid, really professional, always around the same ranking. You know what you're going to get with him. He's going to bring out a level that's going to be tough to beat because he's that solid player.

Yeah, I haven't really given much thought to it, to be honest. I sort of just wanted to enjoy the moment right now.

Q. How is the right shoulder? You had a little bit of work on it.
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, just wanted some hot cream on it. Seems to relax it a bit or warm it up a bit. But, yeah, it was fine.

Q. The ankle was okay?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, it was good.

Q. Freddie seemed quite animated in the box. Is that something you're picking up on? Are you feeding off it at all?
KYLE EDMUND: Well, it's just his character. We all know that's just how he is. He's very passionate. Just loves sport and competing. He's obviously been around for a while. If you ask anyone, they'll say that's what he's like. He's just really into it. I think when you're playing the match, he obviously just feels like he's playing it with you.

But, yeah, it's obviously good when you look across and your coach is right there with you. It helps you a lot, in my opinion.

Q. Have you seen Andy since you've been here?
KYLE EDMUND: No, I haven't seen him, apart from not recently, but obviously we saw him at the ATP meeting. We went out one dinner, all the British guys, which was nice.

Q. When was that, the Brit dinner?
KYLE EDMUND: After the ATP meeting.

Q. Friday night?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah.

Q. In that meeting, Novak reportedly got up and spoke to the players about pushing for a pay rise. Did that happen? What was your take on that and what did he say exactly?
KYLE EDMUND: I don't know. I'm not really going to comment on that. I don't want to. So yeah.

Q. Do you feel a big result was coming in the sense that you had a few close ones, Rafa, Anderson himself, kind of had a few near misses, that you were going to get over the line this year? I think you spoke in the off-season about talking about big points with the coaches.
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, obviously what was asked the other day, do I want to get better, what have I been discussing. Obviously, been open about it. I lost a lot of close ones last year. I wanted to do better this year, especially against those more top guys, I guess. Yeah, I mean, like Brisbane I had two good wins against two young guys, but quality opponents.

Yeah, quite a good measure actually. When I lost last April, May to Kevin in five, it's a good measure. Like what is it, nine, eight months on that I'm beating him in five now. Of course, close margins. Maybe I would have lost, but I didn't. I won. It's good to see that.

I was a break down in the fifth, so it was good that I'm learning and taking stuff onboard and learning from my experiences to turn those results around basically.

Like I said earlier, I try and work as hard as I can on those things on the court and in my head and stuff. It's good. When it pays off, it's really, you know, satisfying.

Q. Were you getting any kind of mental hang-ups from the close losses?
KYLE EDMUND: Sorry?

Q. Were you getting any kind of mental hang-ups from the close losses?
KYLE EDMUND: Mental hang-ups?

Q. Yes. Was it difficult mentally? Were you finding you were getting a bit more maybe tight at the big moments because of previous losses?
KYLE EDMUND: No, I mean, you're aware of it. You're in a situation you want to win. I don't know. Basically when you lose, you're disappointed. Well, everyone does, but I put a lot of time and effort into this sport. It takes up a lot of your life. When stuff like that happens, you're disappointed. You want to fix it.

At the end of the day, it's a game of winning. It's a business. You want to win, so of course you're disappointed. I think that's the best word, is you're disappointed you lost, and frustrated. When that happens, you know it's happening, you just want to turn it round basically. I think it's only normal.

Yeah, I mean, I don't think of it as in, like, I need to win this match now because I've lost the last one. You're just aware of it, what happened last time.

Like I said before, you learnt what do I do differently now to not make that happen again. That's the way I'm trying to think about it.

Q. This Brit dinner, was it Jamie, Andy, Dom, yourself?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah. Cam, Leon.

Q. Coaches?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, it was basically a Davis Cup dinner. So Louis, Jamie, yeah and the other guys you said. Just nice to get together. It's been a while since Davis Cup. Just thought it would be nice to get together. In a couple week's time we'll be together.

Q. I think Judy Murray called your kit a licorice allsorts?
KYLE EDMUND: Obviously it worked. Yeah, I don't think pink really suits me (smiling). I think if you're a bit -- if you have a better tan, it would suit you. But it's all right. It is what it is, isn't it?

Q. Did you not have a choice? Do you do what you're told in that respect?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, they want you to wear a certain kit for each tournament. That was the kit for this tournament, so...

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