French Open 2015: In-form Kyle Edmund faces tough qualifier

The 20-year old is set to play against Romanian Victor Hanescu

Edmund has already cleared his first hurdle at Roland Garros by beating Austria’s Gerald Melze (Getty Images)

Kyle Edmund knows what it takes to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament but the 20-year-old Briton faces a tough task if he is to make it into the French Open, which begins on Sunday.

Edmund, who won three matches in qualifying to play in the main draw of the Australian Open in January, has already cleared his first hurdle at Roland Garros by beating Austria’s Gerald Melzer but will now face the highly experienced Romanian Victor Hanescu, who is a former French Open quarter-finalist.

Given his recent form, however, Edmund’s confidence should be high. He is at a career-high No 121 in the world rankings, having reached the quarter-finals of three successive clay-court Challenger tournaments.

Brydan Klein, who was born in Australia but changed to British nationality two years ago, is also through to the second round of qualifying, in which he will face the world No 139, Argentina’s Facundo Arguello.

Edmund could soon overhaul his fellow Briton, James Ward, the world No 106. Ward, who 12 months ago became the first British man to come through qualifying at the French Open for 41 years, was beaten 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 in the second round by Sweden’s Christian Lindell, who is the world No 200. Liam Broady also lost, going down 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 to Moldova’s Radu Albot in the first round.

Johanna Konta and Naomi Broady both won their opening matches in their attempt to join the British No 1, Heather Watson, in the main draw of the women’s competition. Konta, the world No 144, beat Jovana Jaksic 6-0, 6-3 and now plays Russia’s Elizaveta Kulichkova, the world No 110.

Broady, the world No 236, beat Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay, who is ranked 96 places above her, 6-1, 7-6. In the second round Broady faces the Russian-born Australian, Anastasia Rodionova, who is the world No 166.