NEW YORK - Big-hitting Briton Kyle Edmund made a splashy US Open debut on Monday, up-ending world number 15 Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows.
Kyle Edmund of Britain serves to Richard Gasquet of France during their 2016 US Open Men's Singles Match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on August 29, 2016
"Definitely one of my best wins in my career," said the 21-year-old ranked 84th in the world, who starred in Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final triumph over Serbia but has otherwise endured some erratic results this season.
"Days like this feel really good," added Edmund, acknowledging he'd had plenty of the not-so-good in the build-up to the final Grand Slam of 2016. "Luckily the match when I needed it it came good against a good opponent."
It was Edmund's second career win over a top-20 foe, coming after his upset of France's Gilles Simon en route to the quarter-finals at Queen's Club in June.
Edmund was unable to build on that grass court success at Wimbledon, where he lost in the first round.
He rebounded with two Davis Cup singles wins, standing in for absent Andy Murray to lead Britain to a semi-final clash with Argentina.
That high, however, was followed by a first-round loss in Toronto, a second-round exit at the Rio Olympics and a failure to make it out of qualifying at the Cincinnati Masters.
Even though he has struggled in the hard court build up to the US Open, Edmund said there was "no doubt" his Davis Cup experiences had made him stronger and he was philosophical about the fact that neither the Davis Cup nor Olympics offered world ranking points that could bolster his position and make his way smoother in a Grand Slam.
"I see it as building experience," he said. "Even though there is maybe not points in there, the experience from that will benefit me far more than the points in the long term. So, yeah, that's just the way it is."
Edmund peppered 13th-seeded Gasquet with 10 aces and 40 winners, but it was his ability to bounce back after surrendering an early break in the third set that he found most pleasing.
"I just remained calm," said Edmund, who won the last five games to secure the victory and book a clash with US wildcard Ernesto Escobedo.
"I had a good game to break him, and then because I got that momentum, it really helped me kick through towards the end of the match. Those experiences definitely do help, and I think I'm getting some good ones now."