Edmund blames cramps for Davis Cup defeat

Kyle Edmund rued tiredness and cramp as he allowed a two-set lead slip away in the opening rubber of Great Britain’s Davis Cup final with Belgium.

The 20-year-old made a sensational start to his first appearance in the competition as he moved into a dominant position against David Goffin, but his form dipped dramatically in the last three sets to allow the Belgian to recover.

Edmund’s thundering forehand and athleticism that had lit up the opening two sets quickly disappeared, and his more experienced opponent took full advantage to secure a 3-6 1-6 6-2 6-1 6-0 win.

“I started very well,” Edmund said. “Obviously not playing a Davis Cup match before, I was nervous, [but] it couldn’t have gone any better.

“I was dominating the first two sets. He couldn’t get near me. He turned that [around], and that’s something I need to learn from.

“In the third set he started to get on top of me. Then things started to fall away. In the fourth set I was struggling physically, and in the fifth set it was just disappointing that my body couldn’t hold up the way I would have liked it to.

“My legs just started to get tired. I could just feel them straining a bit. My legs started cramping a bit. I just lost a bit of confidence in my movement.”

For Goffin, there was a huge sigh of relief having survived an almighty scare as he put the hosts 1-0 ahead in Ghent.

The world number 16 said: “I was a little bit worried because Kyle was playing unbelievable. He just had nothing to lose. He played a wonderful match.

“But, like I said, I knew I had a chance and I had to take it. I know it’s always tough when you are young, when you’re playing your first match in Davis Cup, to play three sets like this. It’s always tough. That’s why I tried to stay calm and waiting for a chance.”