MERCURIAL KYRGIOS LEADS WAY
BERNARD Tomic has fallen short of setting up a showdown with Nick Kyrgios on an otherwise banner day for Australia at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios, teenager Alex de Minaur, in-form Matt Ebden and seeded women Ash Barty and Daria Gavrilova have given Australia five players in the third round for only the second time in 20 years.
Tomic was trying to make it six for the first time since 1989, only to suffer a four-set loss against Japanese star Kei Nishikori.
Tomic had three set points to seize a 2-1 lead, including two in a row with Nishikori serving at 4-5 and 15-40, but was unable to convert before bowing out 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-5 on Show Court 2.
“I was pretty sick the last week,” he said.
“I somehow got back in the draw, gave myself a chance, won my first match here, got some points.
“For me, it’s good. But to beat Kei here, you need to be healthy and ready.”
The 25-year-old’s demise is the second time in a month Australian fans have been denied a first-time duel between Tomic and Kyrgios.
The former Davis Cup teammates had been slated to clash in the first round of the French Open, only for Kyrgios to withdraw on match eve with an elbow injury.
But his decision is now proving a wise one.
The 15th seed hammered another 19 aces in a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 dismissal of Dutchman Robin Haase.
Victory over Nishikori could set up a fourth-round shootout with German world No.3 Alexander Zverev.
De Minaur and Ebden continued their breakout grand slam showings with impressive wins over Frenchmen.
De Minaur, 19, earned himself a show-court crack at world No.1 Rafael Nadal with a 6-2, 6-7 (10-8), 7-6, 6-3 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert, while 30-year-old Ebden won 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-1 against veteran qualifier Stephane Robert and now meets another Frenchman in Gilles Simon.
Barty and Gavrilova are also enjoying watershed Wimbledon campaigns.
Barty’s 6-4, 7-5 win over 2014 runner-up Eugenie Bouchard sets up a tricky clash with Russian 14th seed Daria Kasatkina.
Gavrilova plays Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich after ousting Sam Stosur 6-4, 6-1.