Kyle Edmund chasing first grand slam quarter-final

The British number two takes on Andreas Seppi in the last eight in Melbourne.

Kyle Edmund will attempt to break new ground by reaching his first grand slam quarter-final at the Australian Open on Sunday.

You have to go back to Tim Henman’s run to the US Open semi-finals in 2004 to find a British man other than Andy Murray who has reached the last eight at a slam.

On paper, Edmund certainly has a great chance against Italian veteran Andreas Seppi, who is ranked 76 to Edmund’s 49. But Seppi has been as high as 18 and caused one of the great tennis upsets by beating Roger Federer in the third round in 2015.

Kyle Edmund impressed in a five-set win over Nikoloz Basilashvili on Friday (Ng Han Guan/AP)

“At the end of the day, it’s 0-0. It’s a fresh match. It doesn’t really matter about head-to-heads or what their number is in the bracket next to their name. As you have probably seen in this tournament, there are a lot of seeds that have gone out.

“It has to be a new challenge for me and get all that out of my head. I have to be ready for battle, really. That’s the way I look at it.”

Edmund was not on the practice schedule at Melbourne Park on Saturday, with rest the priority after his hugely impressive five-set win over Nikoloz Basilashvili in 40C heat on Saturday.

No doubt to the relief of both players, it will not be anywhere near as hot on Sunday, but the mental and physical resilience Edmund showed demonstrated how much he has developed.

The young Briton’s progress has been noted by Eurosport analyst John McEnroe, who said: “I’ve watched Edmund play quite a bit here in Melbourne and over the past couple of years.

“Having seen him in the past struggle physically in these big, long matches, it looks like he’s made a huge step forward. He’s looking better than I’ve ever seen him.

John McEnroe (right), who has been doing TV work at the Australian Open, has been impressed by Edmund's progress — John McEnroe (right), who has been doing TV work at the Australian Open, has been impressed by Edmund’s progress (Dita Alangkara/AP)

The Australian Open has been Seppi’s most successful grand slam and this is his fourth appearance in the fourth round, but he has never been further. The 33-year-old had his own marathon in the third round, beating Ivo Karlovic in five sets, and he is wary of the talents of Edmund.

“He’s a very tough opponent,” said Seppi. “He can play some very fast tennis, especially with the forehand. Of course, he is very dangerous. But I think it’s another good match for me. Hopefully I can play some more good tennis in the next round.”

Andreas Seppi is through to the fourth round at the Australian Open for the fourth time (Andy Brownbill/AP)

“Maybe I can take the revenge on Sunday,” said Seppi. “He’s one of the best up and coming players. He has a very powerful game. I think for sure he can do well in the next years.”