PUPILS and staff at Pocklington School were celebrating today after an old pupil made it into the semi-final of the Australian Open.

Tennis star Kyle Edmund beat third seed Grigor Dimitrov, becoming the first British man - apart from Andy Murray - to achieve the feat since the 70s.

The British number two went to Pocklington Prep School from 2002 to 2006, and now his old teachers are over the moon with his success.

Form tutor Russell Parker said: "Kyle was, and still is, a lovely young man. He was a natural all-rounder at sport but what really set him apart, even then, was his tenacity and will to win."

Russell and other teachers at Pocklington actually thought their young pupil could have made it as a professional cricketer, and he still holds school records for long jump and athletics. However it was when the 10 year old Kyle took up a tennis racket that his potential really shone through.

Russell added: "At the time he was very much a raw talent – not the most elegant and controlled athlete, by any means. But what he had was a determination to come first, and a willingness to go the extra mile. He just wanted it more – and it’s that drive which has obviously helped him to get where he is today."

Trevor Loten, then the boys’ tennis coach at Pocklington School, brought him in to play in an under 12s Northern School Boys Championship,which Kyle and his partner won.

"He was 10 at the time and you could see he was really talented.

“I’ve followed his career ever since and even played against him about three years ago when he came back to his former tennis club in Beverley. He was only knocking about, thankfully, but I had a bit of a chat with him, which was lovely.”

He added: “I think Kyle’s now in the best physical shape he’s ever been. He’s developed his mental toughness and ability to fight back, and reaching this stage of the Australian Open will also boost his confidence no end. I think he‘ll certainly progress to become one of the world’s top 16 players.”

Kyle will play sixth seed Marin Cilic on Thursday for a place in the final, after Rafael Nadal retired hurt from their quarter-final.

After winning the Davis Cup in 2015, Kyle returned to the Prep School to talk to pupils.