Tennis
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Novak Djokovic stunned by Kyle Edmund at Madrid Open

Tennis

British No. 1 Kyle Edmund stunned World No. 12 Novak Djokovic to reach the third round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday.

Edmund saved three break points in the deciding set before taking the victory 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 victory. He previously had not won a set against the Serb, who has struggled this year after saying he returned to action too quickly following a lingering right elbow injury.

Djokovic lost in the third round in Monte Carlo and in the second round in both Miami and Indian Wells. The 12th-ranked Serb also failed to advance past the last 16 at the Australian Open.

"There are obvious things that are not working well for me," the 12-time Grand Slam champion said. "But I have to keep working on them and pray that ... and hope that my game will get stronger."

The match opened with both breaking serves before a double fault from Djokovic handed the initiative to Edmund, who took the first set before the former World No. 1 took the second. 

Djokovic had a chance to go up a break early in the third set, but he lost five straight points to allow Edmund to come back from 0-40. The unseeded British player then broke Djokovic's serve to go up 5-3 and easily closed out the match on his serve.

For Edmund, it was one of the biggest wins of his career.

"I just felt good today, felt I was hitting the ball well," Edmund said. "I just knew that if I put myself in the match hopefully in the closing stages I would give myself a chance. That game in the third set was very key. When Novak gets a lead it's very hard to break him down because he becomes a bit more aggressive."

He now faces David Goffin in the next round after the Belgian overcame Robin Haase in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

"One or two points decide really these kind of matches," Djokovic said. "Luck was on his side a little bit. But, also, he was courageous enough to attack the balls when it mattered and deserved to win."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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