For a couple of years, Kyle Edmund has lurked like a kid at the edge of a playground scrap, not involved enough to get either a black eye or a round of applause but too big to ignore. It is time to talk about Kyle.

Djokovic raises Australian Open health fears after beating Monfils in 39C heat Read more

In 40C heat on the shadeless Court No2, with a kicking gust that delivered no relief but plenty of mischief, Edmund earned the ultimate accolade from the head boy, Andy -Murray. The absent British No 1, nursing a hip he hopes will be healed in time for -Wimbledon, was impressed with Edmund’s second five-set win in five days, this time in three and a half hours to beat the Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.

“Well done Kedders,” tweeted Murray, who was watching on TV in the middle of the night in London. “Physical test passed. Mental strength passed. I reckon that’s biggest win of @kyle8edmund career!”

Who is to argue? Not Leon Smith, who, as the Great Britain Davis Cup captain, will welcome Edmund to -Marbella on 2 February after his involvement in this tournament to lead the team against Spain, and was courtside to witness his 7-6 (0), 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 win over a 25-year-old opponent near him in age and rankings but lacking the Yorkshireman’s weapons.

“We’ve seen a couple of times in the past where he’s struggled in these sort of positions,” Smith said. “He’s matured a lot, he’s worked hard, but you’ve got to go through it, put your body through it – and he did that. You could see he was managing himself, the way he was breathing between points. He was calm, composed.”

The issue with Edmund has never been his core talent or commitment. It has been how he maximises the power in his serve and forehand – as well as sharpening his focus in the big moments, an improvement that comes with age and increased fitness. On Monday he beat the 2017 US Open finalist Kevin Anderson in five sets. Then he outclassed Denis Istomin. Yesterday, although not at his best, he did a number on Basilashvili.

Smith observed: “The first match against Anderson [who beat Edmund in five sets at Roland Garros last year] was a massive step. He’d lost quite a few close matches against top 10, top 15 – Grigor Dimitrov the other week [in Brisbane], Rafa Nadal last year [in Monte Carlo]. He is getting a belief he belongs. Today was about showing heart, guts, courage.”

Smith also noticed stronger body language. Edmund, who has long been the quiet man of British tennis, seems to have grown in Murray’s absence. “His body language, it’s different. He is fist-pumping. I think because of his personality, he’s probably had to go through a stage where it doesn’t feel natural and it’s a bit forced. It doesn’t have to be ‘Vamos!’ after every single point. But, when he’s realising it’s a big moment in the match, he is turning to his coaching team and doing that.”

Edmund’s challenge is to rebuild his energy stocks for the fourth round against Andreas Seppi, who beat Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (5), 9-7 in the sheltered evening shadows of Hisense Arena.

Edmund reflected on the euphoria that washed over him after he beat Basilashvili. “Your legs have been through a lot, especially in that heat. It saps the energy out of you. There’s just release at the time and [happiness] I won – but feeling very tired.”If the umpire or referee had offered them a rest from the heat (in the pivotal, 20-minute second game of the fourth set, there were 15 deuces and eight break points), he would have taken it. “For sure,” he said. But as he acknowledged in his press conference: “It’s a professional sport. It’s meant to hurt. It’s not meant to be easy.”

Nick Kyrgios came through his stiffest test yet at the Australian Open, beating the former runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) to reach the fourth round. Both men hit 28 aces on Rod Laver Arena but the No17 seed, the lone Australian left in the men’s draw, played his best when he needed to and he will face Dimitrov for a quarter-final spot.

Tsonga had a set point in the third set and led 5-2 in the fourth-set tie-break but Kyrgios held firm. “It was amazing,” Kyrgios said. “I’d never won a match on this court. Playing Jo, obviously I was very nervous. He was a guy I looked up to as a kid, I still do.”