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Rediff.com  » Sports » Aus Open PIX: Kyrgios, Cilic out; Federer Kerber stagger to Round 3

Aus Open PIX: Kyrgios, Cilic out; Federer Kerber stagger to Round 3

Last updated on: January 18, 2017 18:19 IST
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Images from all the action on Day 3 at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday

Australia's Nick Kyrgios looks on during his second round match against Italy's Andreas Seppi on day three of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday

IMAGE: Australia's Nick Kyrgios looks on during his second round match against Italy's Andreas Seppi on day three of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Australia number one Nick Kyrgios blew a two-set lead and failed to convert a fifth-set match point before slumping out of his home grand slam with a 1-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-2, 10-8 defeat at the hands of Andreas Seppi on Wednesday.

The experienced Italian saved the match point with a sizzling forehand down the line and his 16th ace sealed the upset of the 14th seed at the end of a three-hour thriller.

"Maybe it was meant to be?" said Seppi, who blew a similar lead to Kyrgios on the same court in the fourth round two years ago.

"I couldn't find my rhythm at the start, but I kept fighting and I played very well in the important moments in the end."

Kyrgios, returning to tennis at the Australian Open after a ban for not trying at the Shanghai Masters ended his 2016 season, can only rue a big chance blown.

Evans downs Cilic

Britain's Daniel Evans celebrates winning his men's singles second round match against Croatia's Marin Cilic at the Australian Open on Wednesday

IMAGE: Britain's Daniel Evans celebrates winning his men's singles second round match against Croatia's Marin Cilic at the Australian Open on Wednesday. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters

Britain's Dan Evans came from set down to upset seventh seed and former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

The gutsy world number 51, who reached his first ATP Tour final in Sydney last week, set up a contest with Australia's Bernard Tomic or Dominican Victor Estrella Burgos.

Ranked in the high 700s only a couple of years ago, Evans was grinning from ear to ear after recording the biggest win of his career in a shade under three hours on Court Three.

Croatian Cilic, who won his sole grand slam crown at Flushing Meadow in 2014, mixed 55 winners with 69 unforced errors and was able to convert just three of 19 break points during the match.

Evans scored his first ever win over a top-10 player as recently as last week, beating Austria's Dominic Thiem en route to the Sydney final.

Zverev emerges from Isner trance to reach third round

Germany's Mischa Zverev reacts after winning his Men's singles second round match against John Isner of the U.S. on Wednesday

IMAGE: Germany's Mischa Zverev reacts after winning his men's singles second round match against American John Isner on Wednesday. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters

Germany's Mischa Zverev was sucked into a whirlwind for over four hours, lost his bearings and lost track of the score against the tall American but somehow survived the ordeal to reach the third round with a 6-7(4), 6-7(4), 6-4 7-6(7), 9-7 triumph over Isner.

"Honestly, I just felt weird. At times I didn't even know the score. I think in the fourth (set) I had love-40 on his serve and I didn't know that," said the 29-year-old, whose younger brother Alexander made the second round on Tuesday.

"Then saving match point at 5-4 in the fourth, I also didn't know it was match point. I thought it was 4-3.

"In the fifth set... I didn't know if it was 9-7 or 10-8."

Mischa next faces Tunisia's 56th-ranked Malek Jaziri.

Federer staggers past Rubin

Switzerland's Roger Federer plays a forehand in his second round match against USA's Noah Rubin on day three of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday

 

IMAGE: Switzerland's Roger Federer plays a forehand in his second round match against USA's Noah Rubin on day three of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday. Photograph: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Roger Federer dug himself out of a late slump to fend off American qualifier Noah Rubin 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3) on Wednesday and enjoy a confidence-building win on the way to the third round of the Australian Open.

On the comeback trail after six months out of the game, a clinical Federer cruised through the opening two sets but fell into a hole in the third against the plucky world number 200.

Federer needed to save two set points on serve at 5-2 down and then came roaring back to take Rubin to a tiebreak.

The Swiss master, seeded 17th, raced to three match points at 6-3 and closed it out on the first with a crunching forehand that Rubin could only parry high and wide.

Federer plays 10th seed Tomas Berdych in the next round.

Birthday girl Kerber challenged in Round 2

Germany's Angelique Kerber plays a forehand in her second round match against compatriot Carina Witthoeft on day three of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne on Wednesday

IMAGE: Germany's Angelique Kerber plays a forehand in her second round match against compatriot Carina Witthoeft on day three of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne on Wednesday. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Angelique Kerber celebrated her 29th birthday with a shaky 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-2 win over Carina Witthoeft at the Australian Open on Wednesday but the world number one will have much to ponder in her title defence once the candles are blown out.

The top seed opened nervously in a three-set grind against unseeded Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko on Monday and again suffered a meltdown when cruising toward victory on a breezy day at Rod Laver Arena.

German Kerber squandered a 2-0 lead in the second set as her plucky 21-year-old compatriot swung hard at every ball and the champion's serve crumbled in the tiebreak.

But after being broken in the opening game of the decider, Kerber rallied to 4-1 before closing out the two-hour eight-minute tussle, setting up a match against Irina-Camelia Begu or Kristyna Pliskova.

Nishikori downs wasteful Chardy

Japan's Kei Nishikori hits a shot during his men's singles second round match against France's Jeremy Chardy at the Australian Open in Melbourne Park on Wednesday

IMAGE: Japan's Kei Nishikori hits a shot during his men's singles second round match against France's Jeremy Chardy at the Australian Open in Melbourne Park on Wednesday. Photograph: Issei Kato/Reuters

Kei Nishikori shook off the effects of a tough five-set victory in the opening round and took advantage of Jeremy Chardy's inconsistent service game to advance to the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Nishikori beat Chardy 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 on Hisense Arena as the Frenchman wasted several opportunities to deliver a real challenge to the fifth seed.

Chardy, who beat Nicolas Almagro in the first round when the Spaniard retired after four games, broke the Japanese three times in the match, only to broken right back. He also blew several rallies he had control of.

Nishikori had needed three hours, 34 minutes to wear down Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov in the first round but was far more consistent on Wednesday, breaking the 29-year-old Chardy seven times to take the win in two hours, seven minutes.

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