Dominic Thiem knocks out Britain's Kyle Edmund in Madrid
- Planet Sport writer
- 27 April 2023
British hopeful Kyle Edmund's stay in Madrid was cut short when Dominic Thiem defeated him in the opening round of the Madrid Open on Thursday.
Kyle Edmund was knocked out in the first round of the Madrid Open, losing 6-4 6-1 to Dominic Thiem.
The opening set went on serve with the first break chances coming for Edmund in the fifth game, but Thiem recovered to hold.
Thiem - who won the US Open in 2020 but then suffered a lengthy absence with a wrist problem - kept the pressure on Edmund's next service game to clinch the break following a wide return and then held to take the set.
Edmund, still recovering his own fitness after a knee injury, looked to regroup at the start of the second set, securing an important hold in the first game when the Austrian again had a chance to break.
A double fault from Edmund when love-40 down handed Thiem the third game, with the Austrian soon breaking again for a 4-1 lead.
Thiem, twice a finalist in Madrid, held to close in on victory, which he secured with another break on Edmund's serve to secure a second-round match against world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas, runner-up in Barcelona.
"I have known Kyle since we were juniors. He has been a tough opponent since the young days, so I went in with a lot of respect," Thiem said on the ATP Tour website.
"I had some crucial moments in the first set when I saved the break points and then I released a little bit and it got better and better."
Former world number three Thiem added: "Once I was a very tough guy to beat on clay and it is not the case right now, but I am feeling that I am getting better and back to shape."
British number one Cameron Norrie was handed a first-round bye and will start his campaign against Yosuke Watanuki after the Japanese qualifier beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-3.
