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NATURE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL

June 26, 2019

Kyle Edmund

Eastbourne, England

K. EDMUND/C. Norrie

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was pretty clinical. You must be feeling pretty good out there.
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, it was good. Obviously stop and start with the circumstances, but I played solid. The conditions don't really allow you to play lights-out tennis or good-looking tennis, but everything was very solid.

Controlled my serving. You know, if you put first serves in on these courts, especially grass and the wind, it's not easy to neutralize. So I did that well, but once the rallies started, I felt good.

Sort of a little management of game between my style against his style not giving him what he wants, and I found I was a bit more solid today than him.

So pleased, you know, obviously to win. Another match for me tomorrow. You know, that's positive for me.

Q. How difficult was it not to get distracted by that break? I imagine that was a lot longer than you expected it to be.
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, it could be tricky, but it's not -- I don't know. Could be difficult. I guess it's always judged by how you come out and if you win or start losing, if you get distracted or not.

But there is not very much you can do. There's no point fighting it. You have just got to allow the time to go by, however long it is, and just make sure when you come back out you're sort of ready.

I was in a good position, anyway. So there was no need to overanalyze and get sort of stressed up about the break. I just had to keep on doing what I was doing, basically.

Q. What were you told when they took you off court?
KYLE EDMUND: Nothing. Just wait until obviously the medical was finished, like, doctors obviously treated the people. Once they were finished, crack on.

Q. Have you been told anything since about what the delay was about?
KYLE EDMUND: No.

Q. Obviously last week at Queen's, how different do you find it to playing here?
KYLE EDMUND: I mean, the courts are a little bit slower. The center court is a little bit slower, a bit more stickier, like, the ball sits up a bit more. Queen's, it's kind of different grass so it plays different.

Windy today. I mean, I guess it was going to play windy anyway if it was Queen's or here. But that counts.

But, yeah, it's just a bit more of a slower court. You can go through the court, less rallies at Queen's. But here I find it plays a little bit more similar to Wimbledon here than Queen's.

Q. Thoughts about facing Dan in the next match?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, he's played a lot, won a lot. He's seeing the ball well. It's another opportunity for me just in the match itself, forgetting about Dan.

Yeah, it just really is that right now. I have not played a lot of matches in terms of winning a lot of matches. The more I can get, more momentum I can pick up, is just great for me and building on my game.

Yeah, every time I play a match and come through it in a positive way, I like that. So it's sort of another, yeah, another opportunity in the match. But it will be a tricky match with Dan. It always is. And on grass, you know, it's probably his best surface.

Yeah, I just gotta get out there and play my best, really. Last few days I have been in a good place playing. I liked how I transferred that to the match court today. Hopefully I can keep improving.

Q. What's it say about British tennis that you're getting these head-to-heads, enough of you out there to repeat these sorts of clashes?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah. I mean, at the same point in time, I play Cam now and Evo, and that's probably only who I can play. Obviously Andy, normally if he wasn't injured. So, yeah, I mean, those are the guys you can only really play.

Maybe wildcards, there is a few of them. But, I mean, you always want more players playing. It's good that we've got these guys in terms of coming up, and myself, it's not like I'm seriously up above them, but the more players you can just get playing is great.

You don't often play British players on tour just because there is not as many of them as, let's say, the Spanish or French or Americans or Italians.

It's good. I mean, it's nice that it's slowly improving. Of course it can be better. Same with doubles. Not the same, but doubles has got more players. It's just nice to have them around, to be honest, and a bit more sort of chemistry, you know, just chatting to people that you know and hanging out with them a bit.

Yeah, I think I have played everyone now on the court in terms of Andy, Evo, Cam. I think that's most of the singles guys, really.

Q. Have you got a moment to talk us through your shirt? It caused quite a stir.
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I get asked that every match. I'm sure my answer is there somewhere. That shirt is from the French Open, so the pictures have something to do with the French history, as I was told by Nike. I'm sure if you ask them, they can give you the full story, but...

Q. They didn't fancy coming out with the Eastbourne version?
KYLE EDMUND: No, I don't think they make an Eastbourne version.

Q. The three of you guys are obviously close in the rankings. Is that something you're conscious of? How important is that staying as British No. 1?
KYLE EDMUND: It's always nice to be British No. 1, of course. It's nice to sort of be at the top.

But, you know, no disrespect to Great Britain, but the world ranking is where you look at and want to improve. So I think I'm 30 now or maybe just above. So there is room there to improve. That's what I try and focus on a bit more.

If you're high up in the world rankings, there is a chance you're going to be British No. 1 anyway. Right now, for me this year, it hasn't been about focusing on it. I have had quite a few ups and downs on my body. There is no point of trying to hang on to any ranking or look at the points if you're just not ready to play.

The goal has been trying to get ready to play once I can play proper, like, feel good on court, and then I can really go into more detail.

But there is no point looking at all the details and who's this ranking and that ranking if you're not competing as well as you can.

Yeah, that's basically been the focus this year. If I lose it, I lose it. Enough of my life doesn't change. I still have to go on the court and work every time. So, yeah, it is what it is.

Q. How do you feel physically after the French Open?
KYLE EDMUND: Well, right now I have sort of moved on. Right now I'm feeling a lot better and happier with myself and how I'm feeling.

I was better at Queen's and I feel better this week. You know, that match, like I said earlier, it's good that I can sort of transition what I have been doing in practice onto the match court.

Yeah, I'm feeling better. Doesn't mean you stop working in terms of physically. You still have to try and get physically better, stronger, working in the gym every day. So, yeah, I'm feeling better, and the aim is to keep trying to get better.

Q. Is the aim of the ranking really to sort of keep yourself in the running for a seeding at a slam, which is probably where it makes the most sense?
KYLE EDMUND: Not really. Like I said, you don't -- it's just wrong to try and look at it and hang on to the 32nd seed because I'm seeded. If you're good enough, you'll be seeded.

But that's the way I look at it. If you drop out of 32 it's because you're not winning, simple. You look at why you're not winning, why you're losing. This year I feel like I have not been consistent with my body, so that's the goal, to get it consistent with my body. I believe when I'm in a good place and feeling strong and confident enough to play my body, then I believe in my game that I will get the results.

But, I mean, you don't -- yeah, we have never talked once about trying to stay in the top 32.

Q. What do you think of the differences between Cam Norrie and Dan Evans in terms of playing style?
KYLE EDMUND: Well, very different. Obviously different hands. One plays basically the backhand slicing. The other one plays definitely more flat and low.

Both sort of suit the grass in some way. They come through low. Doesn't get up on you, but serve's different, as well. One is spinnier; one is a bit more flatter.

But they're just different game styles. I mean, Cam doesn't really slice that much, but Dan's game is obviously, backhand probably 75% is slicing or something.

Both different in their way. I think there will be a bit more longer rallies with Dan because he slows up the ball a lot more. Dan can, but Cam likes to use pace, likes to deflect it, especially on the backhand. It keeps nice and low.

Yeah, they are very different, to be honest.

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