Wimbledon 2018: Why Kyle Edmund vs Novak Djokovic promises just as much excitement as England's World Cup bid

Writing in his daily Wimbledon column, legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri takes a closer look at Edmund's clash with Djokovic at SW19

I’m sure that Andy Murray’s absence has been a huge disappointment to you Brits, but you must be very proud of Kyle Edmund. I’ve been so impressed with the way he’s conducted himself in the first two rounds. Yes, they were matches he was expected to win, but he did a thoroughly professional job.

Holy cow, what a match his third-round meeting with Novak Djokovic might be on Saturday. I’m told there’s a soccer match on television in the afternoon that will be getting a lot of attention, but if you’re a tennis fan Edmund-Djokovic will surely be the hottest ticket in town.

Man, that forehand of Edmund’s is some weapon. I love the way he’s so aggressive with it. His backhand is good too and he can do some damage with his serve. He also looks comfortable in the spotlight: winning on Centre Court last time out should have done a lot for his confidence.

However, Edmund isn’t going to beat Djokovic just by staying on the baseline. Djokovic will move him around the court. I think it will be important for Edmund to get forward when he can and finish off points early. Throwing in some surprise attacks might just catch Djokovic off guard.

Djokovic has been looking more like his old self. There’s much more power in his shots: he’s hitting the ball rather than just pushing it. He’s also moving well. Using his legs better is helping him to generate more power. More than anything, though, he’s looking like he feels that he belongs at the very top again.

Coaching report

The best guides to Serena Williams’ form are usually her serves and returns. The good news for her is that both looked in excellent shape in her third-round win over Kristina Mladenovic.

Serena Williams has been serving well (Getty ) (Getty)

Although she was broken twice, Serena hit 12 aces and won 80 per cent of the points on her first serve. When she’s serving well she often needs to hit only one more shot to win the point. As she continues to work hard on regaining her fitness I think it’s important that she keeps the rallies as short as possible.

I was sorry to see her sister lose. Venus has been one of the sport’s all-time greats, but at 38 she just doesn’t look the player that she was. Against Kiki Bertens she was missing shots that used to be almost second nature to her.

Venus’ biggest problem at the moment is her slow starts. I said the other day that she couldn’t continue to keep losing first sets. She did so again against Bertens and was made to pay the price.

What the best players have taught me

Every day I’m recalling some of the things I’ve learned from great players I’ve worked with at the IMG Academy I founded in Florida.

Maria Sharapova has incredible mental resilience (Getty ) (Getty)

Maria Sharapova, who came to the academy with her father Yuri when she was just nine, taught me so much over the years, but if I had to come up with one thing it would be the fact that she always believed in this: it ain’t over till it’s over.

How many times have we seen Maria turn around matches when she looked like she was heading for defeat? Similarly, look at the way she has come back from serious injuries. You never hear Maria saying: “Why me?”

I also like the way Maria has such a full life away from the court. When she’s playing or practising there is no one more dedicated, but when she leaves the court she’s able to put tennis to one side.

And what I can teach you

Anyone can benefit from watching the way the leading pros play, but I think most people will learn from the way the top players build points rather than their technique.

Building points is incredibly important (Getty ) (Getty)

Notice their early preparation and their balance when they hit the ball. Notice their positioning and when they choose to attack or defend. Notice how they change positions when they return serve. Notice how they attack defensive shots, especially defensive second serves. Observe where they hit their shots to create and maintain consistency, not aiming for the lines but giving themselves some margin for error.

It’s all about early racket preparation, movement and having your body in complete balance when making contact with the ball. Most importantly, relax, have fun and be confident in your own style.

Read all about it: I’ve spent many hours in recent months working on a new book which will be my personal account of what I’ve learned in a lifetime of coaching tennis. The Professional Tennis Registry will be publishing the book later in the summer. You can find out how to buy it at www.ptrtennis.org.