Last Aussie standing Kyrgios tops Tsonga in 4-set thriller
PETER PARKS / AFP / Getty
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Nick Kyrgios won the last five points of the tiebreaker to beat 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) and remain with a chance of providing a first Australian male singles winner of the Australian Open in 42 years.
Trailing 5-2 in the tiebreaker, Kyrgios went on a roll as Tsonga appeared to struggle with a knee issue.
Kyrgios is the last of nine Australian male players left in the singles draw. Mark Edmondson was the last Australian to win his national championship in 1976, although Lleyton Hewitt came close, losing the 2005 final to Marat Safin.
The 17th-seeded Kyrgios will play third-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round. Dimitrov beat Andrey Rublev in four sets earlier Friday.
HEADLINES
- Australian Open prize money hits record high
- Djokovic withdraws from Australian Open tuneup tournament in Adelaide
- Djokovic cuts ties with players' group he co-founded due to concerns over transparency, governance
- 26 stories we're most excited about for 2026 (Part 1)
- Kyrgios beats Sabalenka in latest 'Battle of the Sexes'
Advertisement