Students and staff at Kyle Edmund’s former school said they were disappointed but proud after his defeat in the semi-final of Australian Open.
Some pupils at Pocklington School in East Yorkshire gathered round a TV to watch the British number two’s straight set defeat to the Croatian Marin Cilic.
Trevor Loten, who has coached tennis at the school for 25 years, said: “We’re incredibly proud of him, to get that far.
Pupil Alejandro and tennis coach Trevor Loten watch Edmund taking on Cilic (Danny Lawson/PA)
“Hopefully he can take this as a real positive. It was such a shame this morning that he was injured.
“Who knows how close that match would have been had he not been injured. Certainly, the second set could have gone his way.
“Obviously we’re disappointed, but to get to the semi-final aged 23 – things can only go upwards for him.”
A small corner of East Yorkshire came to halt on Thursday morning as Edmund walked out in Melbourne, 10,000 miles away, in an attempt to become only the fourth British male tennis player since the Second World War to reach a Grand Slam final.
Although born in South Africa, he moved to the little village of Tickton, near Beverley when he was very young.
Edmund grew up in the countryside north of Hull where he also learned his game.
He was a sports-mad pupil at Pocklington Prep School from 2002 to 2006 and tennis champion there for three years running, despite many staff thinking his best sport was cricket.
Mr Loten, who teaches maths at the school, said there had been a wave of excitement among staff and children since Edmund’s defeat of third seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Edmund outside his former school with a replica of the Davis Cup (Pocklington School/PA)
He said it was obvious Edmund was a tennis talent at the age of 10.
He said: “I think he’s got the right mindset. He’s calm but very determined.
“You could see had the talent. Even at that time he had a big forehand for his age. That’s obviously his big weapon now.
“He was very calm, unassuming. He was never one to brag about his achievements”
Mr Loten said Edmund has kept in touch with the school – returning after playing his part in Great Britain’s famous Davis Cup victory in 2015.
“It was wonderful and totally of his own choosing,” the teacher said.