In either enervating or enlivening news coming out of Melbourne Park this evening (depending on which side of the net your allegiances fall), Australians Nick Kyrgios and Sam Groth are through to the third round of the Australian Open at the loss of teen compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis, who has just been beaten at the hand of Groth – custodian of the world’s fastest-ever serve – in five sets (3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1).
Earlier this evening, Kyrgios outplayed 23rd seed Croatian Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 5-7 6-4 to secure his best ever local Slam result. He’s celebrating by eating two [2] dinners:
Just had 2 dinners!! So full!! Now going to get some treatment and read all the messages from you guys!
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 21, 2015
Groth’s victory is also a Grand Slam personal best, and, in a roundabout way, probably also signals a best of sorts for the ascendent Kokkinakis. Silver linings and all.
At the time of writing, fellow fluorescent ‘Strayan Bernard Tomic is facing off against Philip Kohlschreiber, to whom he has lost the first set 6-7 (5-7). Should he emerge victorious, Tomic and Groth will face off on Friday for a place in the fourth.
If, like me, your TV no longer resides on this physical and spiritual plane, you can stream the rest of that here.
Pray for us. Pray for Australia.
Groth defeats Kokkinakis in 5 #AusOpen @7Sport | http://t.co/sgJ3iDEvcT http://t.co/9G12tfZlO5
— 7Sport (@7Sport) January 21, 2015
Check out the big moments from .@NickKyrgios second round #AusOpen victory over Ivo Karlovic. http://t.co/1L5JXPTxQA #7sport
— 7Sport (@7Sport) January 21, 2015
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
