It has been almost a year since British fans last saw Andy Murray hit a tennis ball in a competitive match and there is no doubt that it has left a vacuum in the sport. The Scot had rightly earned his place at the top of the sporting tree in the UK over the past decade, and it was always going to be tough for any player to step out of that rather large shadow.
We have however seen a new star emerge from these shores in 2018 in the form of Kyle Edmund, who continues to make serene progress in the French Open. The 23-year-old has brushed past Fucsovics 6-0 1-6 6-2 6-3 to reach the 3rd round at Roland Garros for the second straight year and there is a real sense that the Johannesburg born star is starting to emerge as one of the best young players in the sport.
Edmund burst on to the world scene at the Australian Open thanks to a remarkable run to the semi-finals and that upwards trajectory has continued on the red clay. Wins over David Goffin and Novak Djokovic saw him reach the last eight in Madrid and things have certainly gone to plan at French Open so far.
Bigger tests lie in wait in Paris over the next few days and later in the summer as he looks to make an impression at Wimbledon for the first time on a surface he has struggled on throughout his career. A positive run on the lawns of SW19 would do wonders for Edmund as he looks to build a name for himself away from the tennis circle, but only one win in his career at Wimbledon points to his lack of quality when it comes to the grass.
For the time being though, there is no doubt Edmund is improving rapidly and with a career high ranking of 17 next to his name there is a feeling that a place in the top ten is within touching distance.
The mercurial Fabio Fognini is the next opponent for Edmund which will be another step up in terms of quality, but confidence is clearly high and a run into the second week of the French Open is within touching distance for a player who is starting to earn himself a stellar reputation.
Edmund usurped Andy Murray has British #1 earlier this year and the week after the French Open will see the double Wimbledon Champion slip to #3 on that list thanks to the emergence of Cameron Norrie. The 22-year-old bowed out of the French Open in the 2nd round thanks to a narrow four sets defeat at the hands of Lucas Pouille but he will make another surge up the rankings following a remarkable first year as a pro.
A product of the US college system, Norrie has had a stunning rise up the rankings into the top 100 over the past year or so and although he came up short against the highly ranked French opponent in Paris, he is clearly a player heading in the right direction.
It remains to be seen if Norrie can kick on and have consistent success at Grand Slam level but like Edmund, he is continuing to improve and that can only be good news for fans of fluffy yellow balls in the UK.
