Australian Open 2018: Kyle Edmund’s improved tenacity could help him kill another giant in Marin Cilic

Looking at Kyle Edmund, you’d expect the man with such a rollicking forehand, and wearing a daring shade of pink, to be a little bit rock’n’roll. But his Twitter account reveals him to be a lover of Liverpool FC and Yorkshire tea: he even made a day out of tea tasting at the factory. Edmund’s press match conferences carry neither a strong voice nor a sense of humour. “I don’t expect him to go out and buy a Ferrari tomorrow, he’s very humble,” his coach Fredrik Rosengren told reporters this week. [caption id=“attachment_4318251” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture of Kyle Edmund. AP[/caption] Edmund is not a ‘personality’. But what a player he has been this fortnight. With mentor Andy Murray missing from this Australian Open due to a hip surgery, the 23-year-old has shouldered the Britain’s great expectations with great gumption. He had entered the tournament ranked 49 in the world, an up and coming shot maker with an ability to self-destruct. But having got past 2017 US Open finalist Kevin Anderson in the opening round, he has grown in confidence, gone for the big kills and now finds himself in the final four of a Grand Slam for the very first time. “A semis of a Grand Slam, it’s a great feeling. I’ll just try to take it in my stride as best as I can,” said Edmund, who certainly didn’t seem awed by the occasion in his previous outing, where he defeated third seed Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-final at the Rod Laver Arena. Edmund has flattened big-name opponents with his motoring forehand. In the five matches so far, he has slammed 127 winners of that shot, currently the best in the tournament. On Thursday, he will be up against the man who has the second-most number of forehand winners at the 2018 Australian Open: Marin Cilic with a tally of 115. Both the players showed, during their quarter-final victories, that the game had ever-so slightly moved on from the age of the sluggers. The Australian Open has now sped up the courts and the coming generation, of whom Edmund is now a prominent member, are more likely to hit bigger and bolder. Cilic fired 83 winners past Rafael Nadal in a truncated five-setter while Edmund drilled 46 winners past a mentally tiring Dimitrov. It is unlikely they will pull any punches on semi-final day. “Kyle needs to put pressure on Marin. If Marin is controlling the game then Kyle doesn’t have any chance,” said Goran Ivanisevic, who had coached Cilic to the 2014 US Open title. “He has the weapons, a huge serve and forehand, so why not? If he pulls back and thinks Marin is going to miss, then he’s going to be beaten badly. This court suits Cilic, it’s the fastest Grand Slam of the four.” The Croat has zoned in his natural aggression, and even though he isn’t playing with the same freedom or clarity of thought as at the US Open, he’s currently armed and dangerous. Cilic is third in the ace count (96) at the Australian Open and has won the most points won at the net – 121. He has put in almost exact same number of hours as Edmund to make the semis grade: Cilic has spent 14 hours 45 minutes on the court to Edmund’s 14 hours 48 minutes. At 29, he’s not one of the promising youngsters anymore and is hoping to make every opportunity count. With the shadow of the Big four waning on the men’s game, players of Cilic’s generation are enjoying some time in the sun. He had moved through the draw without much drama, till his quarter-final clash against the world No 1, but Cilic has made some impressive scalps. He defeated Ryan Harrison in straight sets and scored a hard-fought win over Spanish run-machine Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round. “For me, a big focus is to continue with my own game,” said Cilic, who is looking to make his third Grand Slam final after finishing second best to Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year. “I cannot influence him, much, across the net, but I’m going to try to take care of my things on my side of the court. Kyle had amazing run here. A lot of tough matches [and] played great tennis. He’s also very entertaining to watch: [a] big hitter, great serve, great forehand.” It has been a coming-of-age tournament for the Briton, who at 6’4 matches up nicely against the 6’6 Croat. A prodigious talent, Edmund was part of the junior and the senior Great Britain teams that won the Davis Cup. He has benefitted from being at close quarters with Murray, and even had three off-season training stints with the Scot in scorching Miami heat. Maybe, that helped him develop a stomach for a fight. Edmund’s improved physical and mental tenacity in Melbourne, especially during his five-set win over Nikoloz Basilashvili in near 40 degree Celsius heat, has earned him a glowing report in every experts’ book. “I’m amazed how much fitter he’s got, how much tougher mentally he’s proving to be for the other players,” John McEnroe said recently. “He’s a big, strong guy, he went through some tough times. I saw him early in his career when he was cramping and he’d fade and physically he couldn’t be there, and the next thing you know the questions start coming. It’s nice when you see someone learn from that and become better than ever, and come into his own at the right moment.” There hasn’t been a bigger, better moment for Edmund to come into his own.