Australian Open 2018: Kyle Edmund shows his class to march into third round with victory over Denis Istomin

British No 2 needed just 89 minutes to defeat Istomin 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 and book his place in the third round with a 'good professional performance'

(Getty)

Denis Istomin produced one of the greatest shocks in Grand Slam history last year when he beat Novak Djokovic here at the Australian Open, but 12 months on the 31-year-old Uzbek was no match for Britain’s Kyle Edmund.

Building on his excellent five-set victory over Kevin Anderson in the first round, Edmund swept Istomin aside, winning their second-round match 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in just 89 minutes on a day of rising temperatures. Istomin, who took a lengthy medical time-out at the end of the first set, struggled with his movement and was unable to cope with the sheer weight of some of Edmund’s shots.

“Today was good professional performance,” Edmund said afterwards. “I did what I needed to do. I held my concentration well. I just managed my game well, regardless of what was going down his end. I was just really pleased, especially with the heat today.”

In the absence of Andy Murray, Edmund was the only British starter in the men’s singles here. The world No 49, who is now certain to move up the rankings later this month, has never gone this far at this tournament – and more opportunities are beckoning.

In the third round on Friday Edmund will face Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili, the world No 61. With some of the bigger names in his section of the draw already knocked out, the Briton would be certain not to face a seed until the quarter-finals at the earliest.

After a comparatively cool first two days, the temperature rose to 31C on a glorious summer’s afternoon at Melbourne Park. Ice towels were the order of the day out on Court 13, though Edmund never looked troubled by the conditions.

Within 26 minutes the Briton had broken serve twice to take the first set, after which Istomin took a medical time-out to have treatment on his left ankle. For the rest of the match the only surprise, given his past record, was that the world No 60 did not retire. Istomin, who has had regular injury problems ever since being involved in a serious car crash when he was 14, has quit in the middle of matches a remarkable 27 times in his professional career.

Edmund broke twice again in the second set, sealing both games with crunching forehand winners, and broke to love in the third game of the third set. Istomin did not have a break point in the whole match, though it was to his credit that he pushed hard in the third set, forcing Edmund to serve out for his victory.

Edmund needed just 89 minutes to see off Istomin (Getty)

“I served well today,” Edmund said afterwards. “I just made a lot of serves in at the right times – good placement really. It felt like it was tough for him to get on top of rallies from the return.”

Istomin said he had felt some pain in his ankle early in the match. “I felt it especially on serve so I could not jump really high,” he said. “I wasn’t moving well today.”

However, Istomin did not offer the injury as an excuse for his defeat. “He was playing much better than me today,” he said. “I knew that he’s a good player, a great player.

“Maybe my tactics weren’t great today. I chose the wrong tactics and I didn’t play really great but he didn’t give me many chances. He was serving well, moving well.”

Denis Istomin knocked Novak Djokovic out in 2017 but was no match for Edmund (Getty)

Although Edmund is through to the third round here for the first time, he needs to win one more match to equal his previous best performance at a Grand Slam event following his run to the fourth round at the US Open two years ago.

Basilashvili, the Briton’s next opponent, has never gone beyond the third round of a Grand Slam tournament. The 25-year-old Georgian, who reached the last 32 by beating Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans in straight sets, lost his only previous meeting with Edmund in the first round at the French Open two years ago.

“He’s a very aggressive player,” Edmund said. “He makes has errors, but he has lots of winners. He’s a very aggressive player, a very good ball-striker.”

Edmund said the first-round win over Anderson had given him particular confidence here. “I’m happy with where I’m at in my game,” he said. “I knew going into this match that physically I was good, the way I’m hitting the ball. If he was going to beat me today, I knew I was going to put up a good fight.”

He said the Anderson match had also taught him the importance of applying enough sunblock. “I got a bit burned on Monday,” he said. “I didn’t put enough on then. It’s my neck that gets the worst. I know I have pale skin. I have to take responsibility. My mum gives me a lecture if I don’t.”