- Updates from the third-round match at Roland Garros
- Serena Williams shines even as she struggles
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Kyle Edmund and Fabio Fognini trudge out on to court – they’re first up on Suzanne-Lenglen this morning in a slightly overcast Paris. The Briton’s coach has been talking in the buildup to this one. “For sure we have seen Kyle grow as a person,” Fredrik Rosengren said. “Confidence is one thing, self-esteem is one thing, it’s very important that you enjoy being out there and we have seen him stepping up in big moments. It’s all about sacrifices, hard work, desire and what we talk about being a great tennis player.”
Of facing Fognini, the Swede added: “We know he can beat the best players in the world on a good day but it’s all about the mental strength, being so strong up in the head in the right moments. He [Edmund] has to see himself leaving the court as a winner today.”
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Kyle Edmund did not exactly breeze into the third round – it was a strange match against Marton Fucsovics – but the 16th seed will have to presumably grind through the gears to get the better of clay-court supremo Fabio Fognini, a man who has had twice found joy against Rafa Nadal on his favoured surface. Without being patronising Edmund, it is fair to say, is treading new ground. The 23-year-old has relished his first Grand Slam as the British No 1, and his first as a seeded player. By reaching this point, Edmund has equalled his best performance at this tournament. Going one better would be a real feat. “He is a player who is more difficult for me to beat on hard court than clay,” Fognini said. “He has a good forehand and serve. Before he wasn’t moving so well but now he is much better from a physical point of view.”
Nadal, meanwhile, is in action on a glorious day seven a little later on on Phillipe-Chatrier – that’s once Sharapova and Muguruza are done and dusted. Also in action, No 1 Simona Halep faces Andrea Petkovic, while two giants, Marin Cilic and John Isner, have hopes of reaching the last 16.
Related: Kyle Edmund’s power faces the unpredictability of Fabio Fognini
Written by Ben Fisher
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2018/jun/02/french-open-2018-day-seven-kyle-edmund-rafael-nadal-serena-williams-live under the title “French Open 2018: Fabio Fognini v Kyle Edmund – live!”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
