Kyle Edmund seized his opportunity to finish off a first-round marathon at the French Open with a sprint.

Edmund and his French opponent Jeremy Chardy had been forced off court by the fading light on Monday night at 5-5 in the deciding set after three hours and 55 minutes of power tennis in a tremendous atmosphere on Roland Garros’ bullring court.

With the French Open now the only grand-slam tournament not to use a deciding-set tie-break, there was the prospect of a lengthy denouement, but instead Edmund broke the Chardy serve at the first time of asking, needing just seven minutes and 10 points to clinch a 7-6 (1) 5-7 6-4 4-6 7-5 victory.

Evans matched him for most of the three-hour-and-25-minute encounter before feeling the pace in the fourth set, where he received treatment to his right calf, and eventually went down 6-3 6-7 (4) 6-3 6-2.

“I’m happy with how I played,” said Evans. “I feel like I’m pretty close to the good guys again. There’s nothing really negative about today.

“I genuinely wanted to play a really good player or someone I have a decent chance to go and win some matches in the tournament. And I played a decent player and tested myself.”