By Alessandro Mastroluca
- Kyle Edmund moved into the semi-finals in the Tim Henman Group as he defeated Andy Murray at the Schroders Battle of the Brits
- Murray could join him if he beats James Ward, who beat Liam Broady
- Cameron Norrie had to come back after losing the first set to defeat substitute Ryan Peniston
ROEHAMPTON, UK – Kyle Edmund completed a comeback win over Andy Murray to reach the semi-finals at the Schroders Battle of the Brits
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Andy Murray, playing his second match since November, showed impressive movement and tenacity against World No.44 Kyle Edmund at the Schroders Battle of the Brits. Despite his 6-7(2) 7-6(5) 10-5 defeat, he revealed to be confident in his comeback. If the hip is good, he said, his tennis can only improve. He has barely 24 hours to recover before the final game in the Tim Henman Group. As Edmund sealed a spot in the semi-finals, Murray will need to beat James Ward to join him.
Kyle Edmund def. Andy Murray 6-7(2) 7-6(5) 10-5
In the main match of Day 2, Murray and Edmund offered high-quality tennis. Edmund, the World No.44, added 4kg in muscle during the lockdown. That extra power helped him over Ward in his debut match and in the opening set against Murray. The former World No.1 in the mid-match interview admitted to hitting the ball cleaner than he did on the first day.
Edmund continued to hit impressive forehands, never failing to generate pace on his groundstrokes. But Murray found a great return and forced an error from his opponent to move 3-0 up in the opening tiebreak. He made no mistake to take the first set 7-2 on the tie-break.
The World No.44 got the first break to move 4-2 in the second, but the former Wimbledon champion came back to 4-4. Edmund suddenly began to struggle with his serve, Murray showed some of the old magic in the 12th game of the set with a drop shot winner followed up with a notable backhand crosscourt pass.
In the ensuing tiebreak, Edmund needed two set points to ensure the match went to distance. The World No.129 looked definitely more tired and Edmund built a decisive 5-1 lead before sealing the victory.
READ MORE | Tennis | Schroders Battle of the Brits | Murray’s flashes of brilliance on Day 1
James Ward def. Liam Broady 6-4 6-1
Murray will face Ward, who reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2015. Currently ranked at 273, he defeated the lefty Liam Broady 6-4 6-1 thanks to his solid serve and more complete game on the indoor hard courts in Roehampton. Against Murray, he will come back on-court for the fifth time in three days.
Cameron Norrie def. Ryan Peniston 3-6 6-1 10-4
Cameron Norrie had to come back after losing the first set against surprising Ryan Peniston who looked far better than his world ranking of 393 suggests despite his 3-6 6-1 10-4 loss.
Peniston, 24, survived a tumour the size of a football in his stomach when he was three. He had a rare Rhabdomyosarcoma and didn’t respond to traditional chemotherapy. Dr. Judith Kingston suggested a much stronger trial treatment and it worked. As his father explained in a mid-game interview, Peniston had been small as a child and his father taught him to the ball early.
Peniston trained at a specialist tennis school in France and he’s currently on a tennis scholarship at the University of Memphis in the USA. He showed aggressive groundstrokes in the first set, sealing it with an ace. However, he could not sustain the unexpected level of tennis long enough to beat the World No.77 and he finally ran out of gas.
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Salisbury/O’Mara def. Peniston/Inglot 6-4 6-2
Peniston played alongside Dominic Inglot in the doubles. They lost 6-4 6-2 to Joe Salisbury, the fourth British player to win a Grand Slam title in men’s doubles in the open era at the 2020 Australian Open, and Jonny O’Mara, the former Master’U BNP Paribas champion in 2017.
Evans/Glasspool def. Broady/Norrie 4-6 6-3 11-9
In the final doubles’ match of the day, Dan Evans and Lloyd Glasspool defeated 4-6 6-3 11-9 Norrie and Broady who upset favourites Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski on Day 1. Glasspool, 26, is ranked 179 in doubles and has quite a big serve.
His efficiency grew as the match went on, becoming a key factor in the second set. At 6-5 in the final set tie-break, he and Evans went ahead for the first time in the match and completed a surprising victory after 90 minutes at the end of a definitely entertaining clash.
Play begins on Day 3 at 1pm (BST).
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