Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

A huge roar on a packed court three as Edmund gets the break back straight away - he had spoken before the match about how much he has been working on the return of serve in the off-season, and breaking the Anderson serve three times already is no mean feat.

Edmund will be desperate to make up for losing the fifth set against Anderson in Paris last June, and victory here would signal a real leap forward at Grand Slam level.

Kyle Edmund polishes off two quick points to move level in this final set.

Who'd call which way this one is going?

Just the one break has been enough in each of the other sets in this match, but someone is going to have to find another out here in the fifth.

Kyle Edmund rolls a forehand winner off his strings in composed fashion, but then chucks two points away to a relieved Kevin Anderson.

Anderson cracks the net with a mistimed backhand. It's 30-30.

Image source, Reuters

Stunning from Belinda Bencic - she's sent Venus Williams packing in round one!

The 20-year-old Swiss has just beaten last year's finalist 6-3 7-5 under the roof on Rod Laver Arena.

Bencic has been moving up the rankings after injury problems and she's going to be going higher still from her present position of 78.

Image source, Reuters

Taken!

Wonderful stuff from Kyle Edmund, who breaks back immediately with a couple of fierce forehand winners.

Courageous stuff from the British number two.

That serve has got Kevin Anderson out of a few tricky spots today. He thunders down another to level up.

But Kyle Edmund is not fazed, he moves the South African around and then punches a forehand winner home to earn another break point.

Resilient stuff from Kyle Edmund, he goes 0-30 up a moment after losing the break on his serve.

Can he break back straight away? Right on cue, an Anderson ace...

Upset alert on Rod Laver? Belinda Bencic is just a game away from knocking out last year's finalist and number five seed Venus Williams.

The Swiss leads 6-3 6-5 but Venus is serving now.

Kevin Anderson breaks.

Kyle Edmund goes long and has some serious work on now.

And now Anderson has a break point.

He lets out a roar after a huge forehand that had Edmund sprawling.

Frustration for Edmund, who lobs a backhand long to let Anderson back in for deuce.

But the 23-year-old is quick around the court to keep on top of the South African's response, earning advantage.

Anderson mixes up a long rally with deft hands to drop a forehand slice narrowluy over the tape, Edmund can only poke it long.

Deuce again.

Kyle Edmund edges his way to a 30-15 lead in his first service game of the final set, but he's pegged back again by Kevin Anderson who gets the better of a brief forehand exchange.

Edmund steps in from the next serve, pins Anderson into the corner and then polishes off the point with a well-placed smash on the bounce.

Frank Meehan: Kyle is leading a really awesome day at the #AusOpen, external so many seeds in trouble - Anderson, Coco, Venus, Isner... this Aussie Open is shaping up to be one of the most exciting for a while.

Big serving from Anderson, who looks like he means business here as he swiftly moves to 40-0. That break may have allowed him to clear his head. Edmund wins a point with another huge forehand but the South African holds to 15.

Kevin Anderson has been off court for a bathroom break but we're ready to resume - the South African to serve at the start of the final set...

We don't want to be the voice of doom but Kyle Edmund's final-set record isn't great.

In five-setters he is 1-3 while in all final-set matches at tour level it's 16-27.

And, of course, the Briton lost to Anderson in five sets in third round of the French Open last year.

This would be a tremendous time to improve those statistics.

Mark Woodforde
12-time Grand Slam doubles champion on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra at Melbourne Park

Great effort from Kyle Edmund to serve out. He is keeping the points short so it will help his energy levels high in the fifth set. The momentum is with him. This would be a huge boost to the young career of Edmund if he is able to knock out Kevin Anderson.

That's the fourth set for Kyle Edmund.

Kevin Anderson skips forward to pick up a backhand, but rattles it against the net.

A much better first pump from Edmund this time. It's going to a fifth set.

That's long from Kevin Anderson, another wayward backhand. The next one is better, driven to the feet of Kyle Edmund who can't find the target in reply.

Anderson goes long again, Edmund mini first pumps the air between serves.

Another Anderson mishit, all frame, and Edmund has a break point opportunity.

But the Brit can't coax it up and over the net. Back to deuce.

Anderson catches that serve a lot more cleanly, it whizzes beyond Edmund and the 11th seed then follows up with a forehand winner to hold.