Edmund saved three break points in the deciding set before taking the victory 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 victory. He previously had not won a set against the Serb, who has struggled this year after saying he returned to action too quickly following a lingering right elbow injury.

Djokovic lost in the third round in Monte Carlo and in the second round in both Miami and Indian Wells. The 12th-ranked Serb also failed to advance past the last 16 at the Australian Open.

"There are obvious things that are not working well for me," the 12-time Grand Slam champion said. "But I have to keep working on them and pray that ... and hope that my game will get stronger."

The match opened with both breaking serves before a double fault from Djokovic handed the initiative to Edmund, who took the first set before the former World No. 1 took the second.

Djokovic had a chance to go up a break early in the third set, but he lost five straight points to allow Edmund to come back from 0-40. The unseeded British player then broke Djokovic's serve to go up 5-3 and easily closed out the match on his serve.

For Edmund, it was one of the biggest wins of his career.

"I just felt good today, felt I was hitting the ball well," Edmund said. "I just knew that if I put myself in the match hopefully in the closing stages I would give myself a chance. That game in the third set was very key. When Novak gets a lead it's very hard to break him down because he becomes a bit more aggressive."

He now faces David Goffin in the next round after the Belgian overcame Robin Haase in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

"One or two points decide really these kind of matches," Djokovic said. "Luck was on his side a little bit. But, also, he was courageous enough to attack the balls when it mattered and deserved to win."