US Open 2016: British players enjoy remarkably successful first week at Flushing Meadows

It is not only the British players who have been busy here at the US Open. The success of the likes of Andy Murray, Kyle Edmund, Dan Evans and Johanna Konta has had statisticians working overtime to find the last time that British tennis enjoyed such success.

The good news has kept coming in a remarkable first week. Laura Robson, fighting her way back following wrist surgery, won her eighth match in a row to qualify for the main draw before losing to her fellow Briton, Naomi Broady, who reached the second round on her debut at Flushing Meadows.

Murray, Edmund and Konta all reached the fourth round with victories over Paolo Lorenzi, John Isner and Belinda Bencic respectively, while Evans went desperately close to joining them, forcing Stan Wawrinka to save a match point before losing in five sets. Evans and Jamie Murray, meanwhile, are still in the men’s doubles with their respective partners Nick Kyrgios and Bruno Soares.

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The 1985 Australian Open was the last Grand Slam event in which at least three Britons (John Lloyd, Jo Durie and Anne Hobbs) made the last 16 and you have to go back 47 years to find the equivalent record at the US Open, where Wade, Christine Janes, Winnie Shaw and Roger Taylor were the players flying the Union flag in 1969.

Murray and Edmund are the first pair of British men to reach the fourth round here since Mark Cox and Graham Stilwell did so in 1966. The last time two British men made the last 16 of any Grand Slam tournament was when Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski did so at Wimbledon in 2002. The last time four or more British singles players reached the last 16 at a Grand Slam tournament was at Wimbledon in 1975, when Wade, Winnie Wooldridge (nee Shaw), Lindsey Beaven, Glynis Coles and Stilwell all made the fourth round.

Leon Smith, Britain’s Davis Cup captain, has been hugely encouraged by what he has seen here, especially with his team facing a semi-final against Argentina in Glasgow in a fortnight’s time. He is facing a tough if welcome choice with regard to his second singles player as Edmund, the hero of Britain’s quarter-final victory over Serbia in Belgrade, faces a stiff challenge from Evans, who has often risen to the occasion in the Davis Cup in the past.

“You can see how motivated the whole camp is - a happy, vibrant camp,” Smith said. “They watch each other - Kyle went out to support Evo in his first round against Rajeev Ram – and they genuinely want each other to do well.

“Andy is superb at supporting rest of the players. He’s so engaged. And to be able to practise with him, as both Kyle and Evo have since we’ve been here, is a big advantage. It sharpens the senses, gets the radar working.”

He added: “We haven’t had a tournament like this one. It helps to have numbers. Look at what Konta is doing. She gave a flawless performance on Friday and it creates a swell of momentum. It’s not just the results but the attitude. You see all the players fighting for every point. They’re very motivated to perform.”

By reaching the fourth round Konta has already defended successfully the ranking points she earned when making her Grand Slam breakthrough here last year. She now has an outstanding chance of making the quarter-finals. Her next opponent is the 26-year-old Latvian, Anastasija Sevastova, who is ranked No 48 in the world and returned to competition last year after retiring in 2013 following a succession of injuries. The winner will face Madison Keys or Caroline Wozniacki.

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Edmund, who now faces Novak Djokovic in the fourth round, and Evans are the two Britons who have made the most significant steps forward. Edmund, who is currently projected to climb 30 places in the world rankings to No 54 at the end of the tournament, has beaten two seeds in Richard Gasquet and John Isner, while Evans, who is on course to climb from No 64 to No 52, reached the third round at the expense of Alexander Zverev, the game’s most exciting teenager.

“Evo was able to weather the storm in the third set [against Zverev] and finish so strongly,” Smith said. “The physical signs for him were excellent because he wasn’t fading at the end at all.

“It was a big, big win for Kyle. John Isner is such a tough guy to play. For Kyle to manage the occasion and play his best tennis on the big points, that’s a fantastic sign. The backhand pass he hit up the line when Isner was coming at him in the fourth set was magnificent. That last forehand as well was there to be hit, but to put it away as confidently as he did was still very impressive.

“The Davis Cup has given them a platform. Look at what Kyle achieved in Serbia with that fantastic win over [Dusan] Lajovic. That is character-building. But as much as we love Davis Cup, the tour is the most important thing. That is the bread and butter of professional tennis.

“Kyle has definitely become a more rounded player and that is testament to Ryan [Jones], his coach, who has used their time on tour very productively. Kyle has had a tough few losses since Davis Cup but he has reflected on them and learned from what happened.”