BRITISH number three Kyle Edmund was left to rue a costly lapse in concentration as he lost out to France's Lucas Pouille in the semi-finals of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
The former Pocklington School pupil, playing in a tournament won by Andy Murray last year, took the opening set on a tie-break but Pouille hit back to win a hard-fought contest 6-7 (7/9) 6-4 6-3 in two hours and 17 minutes.
Pouille had to save six break points in the opening set before racing into a 4-0 lead in the tie-break, the 23-year-old producing a brilliant backhand return winner down the line and benefitting from a double fault from his opponent.
Edmund, from Beverley, refused to throw in the towel and saved two set points before taking the tie-break 9-7 to move within a set of reaching his first final at ATP World Tour level.
However, the 22-year-old promptly dropped his serve at the start of the second to allow Pouille back into the match and two more breaks in the decider sealed the outcome.
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