Australia’s Nick Kyrgios won an electric four-setter with his idol Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to advance to the round of 16 at the Australian Open on Friday.
Kyrgios, seeded 17, needed three tiebreakers to win a crunch match with the former finalist 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(5) in three hours and 17 minutes in a spectacular night match at the Rod Laver Arena.
It pitches the mercurial Australian against Bulgaria’s World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday.
Kyrgios, urged on by his home crowd, traded breathtaking shots with Tsonga, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2008 Australian final when Kyrgios was a doting 12-year-old fan.
“It was amazing. I’ve never won a match on this court before, but playing Jo I was obviously very nervous,” Kyrgios said.
“He was a guy I looked up to as a kid, still do, he’s a great guy. I’m just so happy to get through.”
Tsonga praised Kyrgios, saying he had the game to do some damage. “He has got it. Yeah, we will see how it goes for him. But anyway, he’s already a good player,” Tsonga said.
The match had some drama just after the third set when an incensed Tsonga yelled at the chair umpire in French about a vociferous member of the crowd.
Tsonga was heard to say “bring him here, he needs to come down here“.
He said it three times before the umpire warned the French star, telling him: “You have to stop, you have to stop. Nothing good can come from it. You have to stop.”
Tsonga was then issued with a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Impressive Nadal
Rafael Nadal continued his impressive start, dropping just five games in romping to a straight-sets win over Damir Dzumhur.
The Spanish World No.1 took just 1hr 50min to reach the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 demolition of the 28th seeded Bosnian on the Margaret Court Arena.
“I was very focused and I’m very happy to have another chance on Sunday,” Nadal said.
The win took the 31-year-old’s Australian Open record to 54-11 as he chases his second Melbourne title after beating Federer in the 2009 final.
Shrugs off meltdown
Estonia's Anett Kontaveit shrugged off a torrid second set meltdown to knock seventh seed Jelena Ostapenko out.
The Estonian 32nd seed is into the last 16 at Melbourne Park for the first time after winning a roller-coaster match against the French Open champion 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
World number two Caroline Wozniacki kept her bid for a first Grand Slam title on course as she stormed into the last 16.
She gave her most assured performance of the tournament so far, cruising past Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 26 minutes.
