IN the most highly-anticipated match of day five, world number three Dominic Thiem came back from two sets-to-love down to defeat Australia’s own Nick Kyrgios 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 in a thriller on John Cain Arena.

The match was initially all about Kyrgios, as he came out of the blocks flying. He broke in the first game— the only break point opportunity for either man in the opening set— and won 83 per cent of his points on his first serve. The second set was similar, as Kyrgios was up and about while Thiem struggled to make an impact with his returns. Kyrgios got his break in the ninth game and served out the set to take a commanding lead. Thiem almost lost another break in the opening game of the third set, but he held on despite constant pressure from Kyrgios and the Australian crowd.

From there, the narrative shifted. It was no longer about Kyrgios and his tricks, it was about the greatness of Thiem. At one stage, Thiem won 22 consecutive points on serve and, to put it simply, never gave Kyrgios a chance. In the final three sets, the Austrian won a staggering 19 of 22 points on his second serve, not to mention over 80 per cent of points on his first serve. It was a clinic from the reigning US Open champion, as he reduced his unforced errors and started to show a much grander intensity.

To Kyrgios’ credit, he tried absolutely everything to turn the match back in his favour. Slower serves, underarm serves, drop shots, tweeners, arguing with the chair umpire, chatting with the crowd; it was a very entertaining Kyrgios showcase. Unfortunately for the Australian, he was up against a man that would never lay down.

The ability to persist in the longer rallies combined with his incredible serving made Thiem unstoppable. He capitalised on his first match point by hitting a signature backhand bullet down the line. After the match, Thiem reflected on his performance and the difficulty of playing Kyrgios in front of his home fans.

“There are easier things than playing Nick at his home tournament on his favourite court,” Thiem said. “He is a huge player when he is on fire like today. “When I was down two break points in the first game of the third set, I was considering the prospect of losing. “But I kept fighting and with the break in the third set, I thought there was a chance to turn it around. The longer the match went on, the more comfortable I felt.

“I stood further behind the baseline to return his serves in order to read his serve better and I got more looks to break him. “I always prefer playing in front of a crowd, even if they are for their local hero, but I accepted it. “Tonight was epic and it was a great match.”

This result will give Thiem plenty of confidence going into the second week, so do not be surprised if he works his way into a second consecutive Australian Open final. His biggest threat on that side of the draw is world number one Novak Djokovic, who survived a major scare against American 27th seed Taylor Fritz. The Serbian pulled out his 7-6 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-2 victory in just under three-and-a-half hours.

In other results, Felix Auger-Aliassime was too strong for Denis Shapovalov in the battle of Canadian youngsters, taking it out in straight sets 7-5 7-5 6-3. This was Auger-Aliassime’s first Grand Slam victory against Shapovalov. He will take on 27-year-old qualifier Aslan Karatsev in the fourth round, who produced the biggest upset of the day to defeat eighth seed Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-3 6-3. Karatsev hit 50 winners in the clash compared to Schwartzman’s five, which was particularly impressive given that it was his first ever match against a player ranked inside the ATP Top 10.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev looked fantastic in his straight sets win over France’s Adrian Mannarino, Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic hit 48 winners in his victory against Spain’s Pedro Martinez and Canada’s Milos Raonic was too good for Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.

In tomorrow’s matches, Australia’s final men’s championship hope Alex de Minaur will take on 16th seed Fabio Fognini in a fascinating matchup. Meanwhile, 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will aim to continue his outstanding start to the tournament against Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) defeated  [27] Taylor Fritz (USA) 7-6 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-2
[3] Dominic Thiem (AUT) defeated Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4
[6] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated [32] Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-3 6-3 6-1
[14] Milos Raonic (CAN) defeated Marton Fucsovics (HUN) 7-6 5-7 6-2 6-2
[18] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) defeated [15] Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 6-0 1-0 (retired)
[20] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) defeated [11] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 7-5 7-5 6-3
[23] Dusan Lajovic (SRB) defeated Pedro Martinez (ESP) 6-7 7-5 6-1 6-4
[Q] Aslan Karatsev (RUS) defeated [8] Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 6-3 6-3 6-3

Picture credit: ATP Tour