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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2019

Kyle Edmund

Wimbledon, London, England

K. EDMUND/J. Munar

6-4, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Times gave you some challenges. Is that fair?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah. I mean, most tennis matches are not a doddle. You're going to have to fight through tough moments. Guys are not going to roll over.

Yeah, first it was nice to win. On Centre Court, always a great experience. You always remember every match you play there.

It was great for me. Coming through in straight sets, had to work hard for it, for sure. He's a guy that puts lots of balls in, asking a lot of questions, making you win the points, not giving you a lot of pace on the ball. I was having to really not force the issue, but create a lot of my own pace and shots basically coming forward as well.

Yeah, really happy. You're going out there expecting to do well, and you have to go and do the business. So I'm happy with that.

Q. Bearing in mind all your preparation has been on other courts, does the Centre Court play any differently when you've not had a chance to feel it at all?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I mean, every court you could say plays differently, different tournament. Even courts at the same tournament play differently, depending on how much they've been played on, also surroundings. Bigger courts feel like they're a little bit slower because there's a bigger space.

I think as a tennis player you learn, as well, like, the skill to adapt to your surroundings and different paces. Obviously wind, there's a constant downwind on one of the ends of Centre Court. You're always making adjustments.

It's the same for both players when you go on Centre. No one can practice on there. When you go on it, you're having to get on with it, go about your business. The fact I think I played on there three times before just helps a bit.

Q. This is your third consecutive time to the second round. How nice is it to get the momentum here?
KYLE EDMUND: It's always nice to win, of course. Getting through, I mean, yeah, it was my first one. Lost to Monfils, lost to Djokovic last year. Tough match last year. I was playing well. It was nice to get the ball rolling, some momentum. Different reasons this year. Just haven't played a lot of consecutive matches of tennis this year.

It is nice. It is good to win the first round, but you want to win more. It's no good just winning one round each time you come here. There's always that eagerness to try and keep winning obviously and do your best.

Q. I don't know if you're aware, just as you were coming onto court, two of the top seeds out. Is that a reminder of how you can take nothing for granted?
KYLE EDMUND: I saw I think one was in the fourth, the other was third set when I walked on. I mean, it shows when people say or think players because on paper you're the higher ranked you're expected to win just doesn't mean much in the sport of tennis. It's 0-0 at the start. The other guy is allowed to win.

It's not surprising when the guy is coming at you that is maybe not expected to win on paper, and there are good players out there, so it's not surprising. You have to respect everyone. That was the same for me today. I knew I was favored on paper, probably on the court as well, having a bit more experience than him, won more grass court matches. But you have to respect that and go and do the job professionally.

You need to be in the tournament to win it.

Q. That said, were you beginning to wonder if you were ever going to win that first set?
KYLE EDMUND: What?

Q. He saved nine set points.
KYLE EDMUND: The long game? Oh, yeah. For sure, you want to serve out comfortably. If you need nine set points to do it, then you'd rather win nine set points than, let's say, get broke on the second deuce point or something.

It was important that you close out the first set because it doesn't give them belief, it sort of shuts it out. You get on the board, so...

Q. Do you think you're developing a nice rapport with the Centre Court crowd? Does it bother you, is that always a --
KYLE EDMUND: Does what bother me?

Q. A rapport with the Centre Court crowd, is that something that just develops over time?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I mean, the more you play on there, obviously you just feel more comfortable with your surroundings and the court. The crowd obviously reacts to how the match is going, different matches. Time of day. It sort of depends. If it's not evening, you're probably going to get more of a louder crowd. It's just the nature of sport.

If it's close matches, I remember like the Djokovic match, it was really loud. Sometimes it can be less loud. Just depends on the occasion.

Regardless of that, any time you play on Centre Court, it's just an amazing honor and feeling. Like I said yesterday, never take for granted. It's just really special. You know you're on Centre Court, you're obviously concentrated on the match. Still inside, it's pretty cool playing on Centre Court.

Q. Are you doing anything different this year in particular in terms of preparation for Wimbledon? I don't mean necessarily the tournaments you play at, but maybe in terms of your training, superstitions, where you stay. Is it the same?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I mean, it's tough to really know because you do do stuff you've sort of always done. You just don't change stuff for Wimbledon. Over time, probably without even realizing, you do stuff maybe differently to what I did two years ago. It's not necessarily something I did a conscious thing. It happens sometimes.

You can change stuff for a reason. Like throughout the years, like I'm going to warm up differently because I feel like I need to have more energy when I go on court. Let's say you could have identified that in February, so your routines like that.

For sure I think from one year to like the fourth year, I don't think everything is going to be the same. Things just naturally change. You do things slight differently to maybe help your body. As you get older, you maybe learn more stuff like mental stuff. You mentally warm up in a different way.

I think you obviously have your ways, but you're always trying to look to improve. Maybe you take away or add stuff as you go along in your career.

In terms of Wimbledon, you don't change what you did, let's say, last week just because it's Wimbledon. It's more of a long-term thing. It ebbs and flows how you get ready for tournaments.

Q. Were you having problems with your knee in Paris? How is that holding up?
KYLE EDMUND: Good. I was happy with it in Eastbourne. Played three matches there. Physically in terms of performance it was good. Holding up good. I was happy with it. I mean, it was not five sets, but a best-of-five set match, come through it in a good state, it's a good sign.

Q. You play Verdasco next. Do you expect that to be an even tougher match than today?
KYLE EDMUND: I don't know. I mean, it's pretty tough today. The guy is a really good fighter, plays with a lot of spirit. He was getting a lot of balls back, like slicing, not putting a lot of pace on it. You're having to work hard.

Of course, Verdasco has more experience, had more achievements in the game. Yeah, it's tough to say if it's going to be any tougher or not because you got to respect every player. I mean, it's more like an answer that afterwards if it was a tougher match or not.

Yeah, I mean, he's got experience compared to obviously Munar. But hopefully I can improve as well from this match and make my life a little bit easier, as well.

Q. How do you warm down, recover from a match like that?
KYLE EDMUND: Just go in the gym, cycle a bit, stretch off. I actually went straight in the ice bath today. Yeah, shower, a bit of food, do my media stuff, then afterwards I'll go for treatment, massage and stuff, more stretching. Probably eat again when I get home.

Sort of the time, like the short time after the match is quite critical to make sure you do everything you can to recover and fuel up. If you miss that sort of window, you're behind, then you're playing catch-up.

You really want to make sure you're on top of it, especially at the start of a tournament. Tomorrow you don't go stressful on the court. It's more about the priority, obviously recovery, try to freshen up for the second round.

Q. There are eight Brits in action tomorrow. Will you watch any of those?
KYLE EDMUND: Not really. I'll follow it. Just because I have to look after myself. Even though it doesn't sound a lot, you are using energy, mental energy. It's very busy around the tournament. Lots of people around.

Maybe you do, but I won't tomorrow go out and watch a court. I might follow it on TV, follow results. My mind is on getting ready for Wednesday. Come in here, do what I need to do, recovery. Even on the off days I go home and do treatment just to mentally get away from the tournament. When you're at home, it's just more relaxing and quiet.

So, yeah, you look after yourself. With so many Brits, you're naturally going to look out for them and see how they do.

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