It's easy to get caught up in the success 23-year-old Kyle Edmund has had at the Australian Open and think that this is simply an overnight success. With Andy Murray out of the picture, many Brits were ready for the typical countdown of all the Brits leaving the tournament early. But Edmund has pulled off a historic run.
Edmund has played above and beyond someone of his barely top 50 ranking should do. His forehand is already becoming infamous for his opponents and a determination that mirrors that of fellow Davis Cup winner Andy Murray.
Kyle Edmund isn't just a beginner who just happens to have won 5 matches in Murray's absence at the Australia Open. He has certainly shone in the limelight, but it's been years of work to get to this stage. Remember - he is a Davis Cup winner with Great Britain and has previously reaches the fourth round of the US Open. He's no rookie.
Compared to most professional tennis players, Edmund only took up tennis aged 10, but within just a few years, he was already showing promise of going on to great things at senior level.
He had a ranking high of eighth at junior level, which kept under the radar when talk began of 'the next great tennis player' - simply a 'one to watch'.
As mentioned previously, Edmund shows many similarities to Murray's game, and this is no accident.
He spent many years under the wing of the former World Number 1, having the opportunity to take part in his grueling off season training blocks. This came as Edmund began to win a few titles on the Future and Challenger tours. His name was beginning to be passed around.
Since he broke the top 50 a few years ago, Edmund hasn't found it easy to climb that rankings list further. He still craved a victory against a top-10 player, especially as he had near misses against some of the biggest names in world tennis.
His determination to reach the tournament is echoed by his coaching team, who can only heap praise on the young Brit.
Right now, Kyle Edmund is as fit as he has ever been, and is only going to improve, no matter what happens tomorrow morning against Marin Cilic. Considering who is left, there is every chance that Kyle could claim a surprise victory in Melbourne. But this hasn't just happened over the last couple of weeks.
As Andrew Castle tweeted yesterday: "There is no such thing as an overnight success in pro sport."
Can Edmund eclipse the success of Andy Murray? Share and comment.
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