Tomic only loser as Aussies roll on

BERNARD Tomic has fallen valiantly short of setting up a blockbuster first-time showdown with Nick Kyrgios on an otherwise banner day for Australia at Wimbledon.

Kyrgios, young gun Alex de Minaur, in-form Matt Ebden and seeded women’s stars Ashleigh Barty and Daria Gavrilova gave Australia five players in the third round for only the second time in 20 years.

Tomic was trying to make it six Aussies in the last 32 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 two-sets-to-one advantage — 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.

De Minaur and Ebden both continued their breakout grand slam showings with impressive wins over Frenchmen.

Making his Wimbledon main-draw debut, 19-year-old de Minaur earned himself a dream 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.

Playing the best tennis of his life, 30-year-old Ebden is also through to the third round of a major for the first time, following a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-1 success against Stephane Robert.

Ebden plays another Frenchman next tonight in Gilles Simon.

Barty and Gavrilova are also enjoying watershed Wimbledon campaigns.

Barty advanced to a thirdround meeting with Russian 14th seed Daria Kasatkina, while Gavrilova plays the unseeded Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.