Nick Kyrgios battled back from two sets to one down to defeat fellow entertainer Dustin Brown in front of a packed crowd at Wimbledon 6-7(3), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Fast and fiery first set
The match was due to get underway on Court 2 at 11am BST, but due to the rain, the players only managed to play three points before the match properly got underway at 3pm BST. Both players were able to come out in the sunshine thereafter and thrill the crowd with their shot making as both players held their opening few service games.
Kyrgios hit a cross-court forehand pass to move to 30-30 on the German's serve in the seventh game and a double fault put Brown under pressure at deuce. A perfectly executed lob gave the Australian a break point, but he netted his backhand attempted pass. After saving another break point the wild card served an ace and managed to escape with the hold.
After just 28 minutes on court, the players were already set up for a first set tiebreak. A cross-court forehand winner gave Brown an earlymini-breakk and a 2-0 lead, which he improved on as he went to the change of ends 4-2 in front. Two huge first serves and a forehand winner were more than enough to wrap up the set for the German 7-6(3).
Kyrgios quickly responds
It was Kyrgios who took charge in set number two, earning a crucial break in the fourth game, before breaking again on his second opportunity to move 5-1 in front. The Australian looked a little tense as he squandered two set points on serve with unforced errors. However, a couple more errors from Brown sealed the set for the former quarterfinalist 6-1 in just 19 minutes.
The wild card moves back in front
The match took another big momentum swing as Brown broke the Kyrgios serve for the first time and proceeded to hold for a 3-0 lead. The Australian looked disengaged and hung on every call which he saw as an injustice. he wild card broke the 15th seed's serve for a second time to close out the set 6-2 and move in front once again.
The Australian regains his composure
Heading into the fourth set Kyrgios gained the break and kicked on from there, wrapping up the fourth set 6-4 to take us into a decider, with Brown's resolve and shot making fading.
At 3-3 in the final set Brown's game completely fell apart as the German played a loose service game falling 0-40 down. The German saved one break point with a drop shot volley winner, the second with a death touch overhead smash and the third with a backhand cross court winner. A huge serve moved him to game point but Kyrgios hung on in the game before firing a forehand winner to reach a fourth break point chance. At a crucial moment the rain came falling down and the players were forced off court.
The players returned a couple of hours later but Kyrgios was quick to kill off the contest, breaking immediately before serving out the match to complete a five sets victory just before 7pm BST, 6-7(3), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. The 15th seed advances to face 22nd seed Feliciano Lopez last on Court 1 on Saturday.