Melbourne, Jan 14 (IANS): Unseeded Tomas Berdych beat 13th seeded Kyle Edmund 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 on Monday at the Australian Open 2019 to advance to the next round.
"It's been a very long six months that I was out," Berdych said after the match adding: "I was feeling really good on court. I like this Melbourne heat; it's been so many years that I've loved coming back."
"The draw for the first round was very difficult - I was not seeded - and playing Kyle for the first match is not easy. I'm very pleased with the way I played, and it's a good sign for me for the rest of the tournament," he said.
The 57th-ranked Berdych, former world No. 4, had raced to a 3-0 lead and won the opening set, reports Efe news.
In the second set, Berdych routed the 24-year-old Edmund, a semi-finalist last year, whose serve and forehand had lacked their usual power during the match.