Australian Open 2019: Veteran Tomas Berdych ousts 2018 semi-finalist Kyle Edmund in first round

Melbourne: British hope Kyle Edmund reached the Australian Open semi-finals a year ago but was sent packing on Monday in round one by veteran Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-0, 7-5. The 13th seed had no answer to the Czech former World No 4 who is on the comeback trail having missed the last six months of the 2018 season with a back injury. [caption id=“attachment_5892451” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Tomas Berdych celebrates after defeating Kyle Edmund in the first round of the Australian Open. AP/Andy Brownbill[/caption] Berdych, who reached the semi-finals in Melbourne in 2014 and 2015, admitted he had contemplated retirement last year before returning to the circuit in Doha earlier this month. But the 33-year-old instead showed glimpses of his old self as he overpowered Edmund, who will drop outside the world’s top 20 as a result of the defeat. “It’s not nice losing, of course. It was like a one-sided defeat, as well,” said a dejected Edmund. “Clearly not what I wanted, not a lot of fun. But for me it just shows where I’m at the minute, my level and stuff, and how much and where I have to improve. “I very much just got to sort of let the defeat settle, kind of get back to work and look at where I’m at the minute with my game, try to get better basically.”