Wimbledon 2017: I possibly lacked maturity, concedes beaten Edmund

They sell used balls at Wimbledon for £1 each; the ones used in his hard-hitting encounter with Gael Monfils will only be good for the dog, such was the ferocity unleashed on them.

Neither player is at home on grass and, in the initial stages, they cancelled each other out with their impressive power.

Edmund will look back with regret at the break point opportunities he spurned, Monfils then using his greater experience to establish an early advantage in a one-sided first-set tie-break.

They continued to go toe-to-toe, exchanging several service breaks before Monfils’s greater consistency was rewarded with a 7-6 6-4 6-4 victory.

“You watch so many matches on Centre Court, but it’s one thing saying you’re going to be on Centre and another actually experiencing it,” said Edmund.

“I didn’t enjoy the loss, but I enjoyed the chance to be on the biggest court in the world.

“I remember when I was eight or nine years old, I did a tour around Wimbledon, and they took you around Centre Court – now I’m actually playing on it. You’ll always remember your first match here.

“It was great to learn from it and I got my game out, which is something I wanted to do.

“Perhaps there was a lack of maturity and a few shots on certain points or match situations that I needed to be better on.

“I will definitely take away lots of memories and lots of things to improve. Hopefully next year I can win a few more matches and get back on the court – and win.”

Edmund, who won his first singles match at Wimbledon in five attempts to reach the second round, did not look out of place on his sport’s biggest stage.

However, he erred when the big points came and may well consider this a missed chance to push further inside the world’s top 50.

Andy Murray also lost his first match on this stage as an 18-year old, though by the time he reached Edmund’s age he had progressed as far as the quarter-finals.

This underlines the challenge ahead for 22-year-old Edmund, whose game is certainly best suited to the hard court season, a point underlined by his run to the fourth round at last year’s US Open at Flushing Meadows.

Despite his Davis Cup success, Edmund still slips under the radar for most British tennis fans, with Murray, Johanna Konta and Heather Watson – all still flying the flag here – remaining the main attractions.

Edmunds’s struggles at Wimbledon, on a surface with which he remains far from comfortable, is perhaps the main reason he can still eat out in Wimbledon Village without too many second glances.

Quietly spoken, with a steely determination, he insists he is not bothered or motivated by his profile.

“I don’t feel I need a run at Wimbledon to be more recognised; I’m playing tennis for myself,” he added.

“I don’t need to be popular or worry about my image, but it’s great to play in front of crowds that are really gunning for you and wanting you to win.”

You sense Edmund – who is yet to appoint a full-time coach – is almost looking forward to being an anonymous Englishman in New York again in the event in which he announced his potential last year.

He will take a few days off before the ATP Tour tournament in Atlanta, followed by the Masters events in Montreal and Cincinnati, high-profile warm-ups for the final major of the season.

“I’m really excited about the weeks ahead,” he said. “The experience of playing on the biggest court in the world just makes you want it more.”

The British No 2 ran into extrovert 15th seed Monfils’s full range of power and finesse.

Yet Edmund will look back on a missed opportunity to secure only his second win at the All England Club.

He dominated much of the first set while Monfils moped around the baseline fiddling with what appeared to be an ankle problem – the Frenchman is rather renowned for his injury niggles.

The home hope did not drop a point in his opening two service games and forced seven deuces, and two break points, against the Monfils serve at 4-4.

But having failed to secure the break, Edmund capitulated in a one-sided tie-break thanks to a catalogue of unforced errors. Breaks had already been shared in the second set when a limp service game from Edmund handed Monfils the initiative, which he did not let go, serving out the set in barely 30 seconds.

Edmund was 3-0 up in the third set, but the wheels came off.

Monfils raced away with the next five games and soon served out for the match.

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