French Open 2018: Kyle Edmund out after five-set defeat to Fabio Fognini

The British No 1 fell 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to the Italian clay-court specialist

The British number one is out at Roland Garros (Getty)

The best clay-court season of Kyle Edmund’s blossoming career is over after the 23-year-old Briton was beaten 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Italy’s Fabio Fognini here on Saturday in the third round of the French Open. Edmund, who needed one more win to complete his best run at Roland Garros, fought hard in a gruelling contest that lasted more than three and a half hours but rarely found his best form.

There was no shame in losing to the enigmatic Fognini, who has twice beaten Rafael Nadal and is one of the game’s best players on this surface, but this was a disappointing end to a clay-court season in which Edmund has beaten some leading men and played in his first tour-level final.

Much had been made beforehand about an intriguing clash of styles, with Edmund’s big-hitting game pitted against Fognini’s unpredictable creativity, but in truth it was a curious contest which lacked rhythm or pattern. There were not many periods of play when both men played well at the same time.

Edmund's best-ever clay-court season is over (Getty)

There were curiously few long rallies and not a great deal of excitement, which probably explained the subdued atmosphere in Court Suzanne Lenglen for much of the encounter.

Perhaps the nature of the match had something to do with the physical issues both men were dealing with. Edmund, who fell towards the end of the first set when attempting to chase down a drop shot, had lengthy treatment towards the end of the second for a hip problem, while Fognini had his left ankle heavily strapped in the third.

The fact that Edmund hit only two aces to Fognini’s seven and 27 winners to the Italian’s 41 suggested that the Briton’s physical problems might have been a significant factor. From the middle of the first set onwards he was rarely at his best.

The 23-year-old is out (Getty)

Fognini’s default demeanour was that of a man who looked as if he would rather be somewhere else. The 31-year-old Italian walked around the court with a swagger which suggested boredom as much as arrogance. Even many of his grimaces or remonstrations with officials looked half-hearted.

Between points – and occasionally even in the middle of them – Fognini seemed to move in slow motion. Every now and then there were flashes of his brilliance, particularly when he played some trademark drop shots, but he also wasted numerous opportunities. Fognini made 60 unforced errors to Edmund’s 48.

Edmund, who was the last Briton of either sex left in singles competition, tried to be his usual steady self, but seemed to find it difficult to find any rhythm. He stuck to his task, however, and played many of the big points well.

Edmund was the last Briton standing (Getty)

The sun was shining and the temperature 20C and rising at the beginning, but with an 11am start there just a few hundred spectators on the second show court.

Edmund made a bright start, converting his second break point in the opening game when Fognini missed a forehand and then saving two break points to go 2-0 up. The Briton maintained his focus despite an eight-minute break in the second game while paramedics helped an unwell spectator in the crowd.

Nevertheless, everything changed in the middle of the set as Fognini won 10 points in a row and went from a break down to a break up. The Italian was starting to pull Edmund around the court, switching play from side to side and throwing in drop shots interspersed with sudden injections of pace.

The Brit made a bright start but couldn't sustain it (Getty)

Fognini served out for the first set in 46 minutes, but in the second it was Edmund’s turn to hit a purple patch, though his run of 16 successive points had as much to do with Fognini switching off as it did with the Briton switching on.

From 1-1 Edmund went 5-1 up, only for Fognini to start playing well again. After the Italian broke back to 5-4, Edmund called for the trainer and took a medical time-out for treatment to his left hip. Fognini sat in his chair with a towel over his head, but if the world No 18 was plotting a strategy for the rest of the set it did not work.

In the following game Fognini seemed to set out with the intention of making his opponent run as much as possible, but instead he kept missing the lines. A forehand beyond the baseline handed Edmund set point, which the Briton duly converted when Fognini’s next forehand flew wide.

Edmund first called for the trainer in the second set (Getty)

Fognini had kept his emotions in control up to this point, but under the lid the pot was starting to boil. His frustrations were evident as he hurled his shoes to the floor before changing into a new pair after the third game of the third set and after losing a point in the next game he was given a warning after smashing his racket into the court surface.

After five games it was Fognini’s turn to take a medical time-out in order to have his left ankle strapped and at 3-4 the Italian dropped serve with a double fault, upon which Edmund served out for the set.

Fognini won the first three games of the fourth set and Edmund the next three. When Edmund served at 4-5 and 15-30, however, Fognini hit a wrong-footing forehand winner which at last brought a roar of celebration from the Italian. On set point Edmund put a lame attempt at a drop shot into the net.

Fognini held his nerve to take the match in the fifth (Getty)

After nearly three hours it was time to play a deciding set. Fognini, becoming more animated, celebrated after saving two break points in the fifth game and after holding from deuce in the seventh and you started to sense that he was the man ready to seize his chance.

At 4-5 Edmund went 0-30 down as Fognini hit a thumping forehand winner down the line, which at last sparked a chorus of “Fabio! Fabio!” from the crowd. Edmund’s missed forehand gave the Italian three match points and on the second of them the Briton missed a backhand.

Edmund played down any physical problem afterwards and insisted he had done his best. “Losing in five sets is always tough,” he said. “I had my chances, he had his chances, but he just took them today. It's over now and I just need to reflect a bit and go again for the grass-court season.”

Asked for his verdict on his clay-court season as a whole, Edmund said: “I’ve had some good wins recently in the Masters and it wasn't a bad tournament here - a couple of good wins and a tough loss against a quality player - and I reached my first final. I’ve won more matches this year on the clay than I have before. You have to say I'm improving.”

Jamie Murray and his Brazilian partner, Bruno Soares went out of the doubles, losing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to Maximo Gonzales and Nicolas Jarry.