Novak Djokovic Tops Kyle Edmund to Advance at 2018 Wimbledon

It took a little longer than he would have liked, but Novak Djokovic advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon with a win over Kyle Edmund of Great Britain. 

Edmund showed some early signs of nerves, handing Djokovic two break chances with a couple of errors, but the Brit soon settled into a groove and started to match his opponent in the rallies.

It led to a back-and-forth of holds in the opening set, with the two trading blows for six straight games.

The seventh would be the crucial game of the first set, with Edmund emerging victorious after a battle at the net, leading to the first break. Fans were impressed:

The 23-year-old just barely held on serve in the next game to consolidate the break, and he served out the set a few minutes later with some excellent power play.

The local fans, who were already having a great day, were fully behind their man:

The Djoker improved his level of play in the second set but still made too many mistakes at crucial times. He regularly made inroads on Edmund's serve but was not able to push advantage to a break of his own.

On serve, he had consecutive holds for love, and his opponent seemed to be a step slower. A break seemed inevitable, and it came at the perfect time in the eighth game, giving the Serb a 5-3 lead and the chance to serve for the set.

He did just that:

Edmund couldn't get out of his slump to start the third set and immediately all but handed Djokovic another break with several errors.

The Serb's main opposition in that set came from the umpire:

Edmund had one good look on Djokovic's serve, but that wasn't enough to fight his way back into the set. He would drop serve again in the seventh game, with the end of the match seemingly just around the corner.

But Edmund found some life again to start the fourth set, with some impressive holds giving him the chance to breathe. 

Ultimately, though, he couldn't find enough to get past Djokovic, who will face Karen Khachanov in the Round of 16.