ANTWERP, October 22, 2018

Kyle Edmund captured his first ATP World Tour title on Sunday by beating Frenchman Gael Monfils 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4) at the European Open in Antwerp.

Edmund withstood 17 aces, hitting four of his own to secure victory in two hours and 27 minutes, breaking down in tears as he walked over to celebrate the triumph with his team.

“I’ve been playing well this week, so I knew I had a really good chance,” said Edmund. “But after going down in the first set, you always have to stay positive, but just re-evaluate and see how the match is going. So it was good to turn the match and just keep at it, not panic and just trust that your opportunity will come.”

World No. 15 Edmund, who finished runner-up at the Grand Prix Hassan II in May, is the 13th first-time titlist on the ATP World Tour in 2018. He broke into the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time on 14 May.

After a first-round bye, he beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round, received a walkover in the quarterfinals and knocked out 2016 champoin Richard Gasquet in the semi-finals. The 23-year-old Briton earns €109,310 in prize money as well as 250 ATP-Ranking points.