Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios put on an unforgettable display against 29th seed Frenchman Ugo Humbert at John Cain Arena.
Following on from frustrations with the chair umpire, technical issues, losing two of the opening three sets and overcoming two rival match points, Kyrgios' box office performance was one he will never forget.
How to save two match points, break your opponent's serve and then win the set.
A cinematic masterpiece by Nick Kyrgios.
WATCH: @Channel9
STREAM: https://t.co/7uAf53PWTv #9WWOS #AusOpen #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/UqkxrkoYJo— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) February 10, 2021
The 25-year-old pulled off another stellar five-set victory, his eighth win of the sort from his last nine deciders, winning 5-7 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4.
A rowdy Australian-strong crowd were loud in their support for Kyrgios from the first serve, riding the emotional wave that was the second round fixture.
Nick Kyrgios, in the last hour of that match, was as good as any player on the planet. More of that please. #AusOpen
— Andy Maher (@AndyMaherDFA) February 10, 2021
A key tale of Kyrgios' three-hour long duel was the persistent issues with the automatic let technology, with both the mercurial Aussie and Humbert suffering from the faulty rulings.
Kyrgios was left animated when several serves that reportedly hit over the net were called let, sparking an uproar from Kyrgios to the umpire.
โReset the machine because the ball is this high (hand motion with arms far apart) off the net,โ Kyrgios told the chair umpire Marijana Veljovic.
โTurn the machine off ... it's ruining the game. Do you understand that?"
Both athletes were heavily commended for their performances, with Humbert's stunning battle against not only Kyrgios but a rambunctious crowd requiring a great deal of temperament.
The victory means Kyrgios will advance to the third round of the Australian Open, where he will face third seed Dominic Thiem.
Kyrgios vs. Thiem ๐ฟ
Hands up if you're excited ๐#AusOpen | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/JLhbx7O5RX
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 10, 2021