THE two-hour and 13-minute match saw local hope Nick Kyrgios run out victorious in straight sets downing Italian opponent Lorenzo Sonego 6-2 7-6 7-6. It was hard to deny that the Aussie was the clear favourite with the crowd – erupting every time he won a point – but the Italian youngster, was not alone with his contingent of fans making their voices heard. It was a tough battle with both players looking to make their move and edge that one step closer to a grand slam title but Kyrgios was simply too strong.

Sonego won the first game of the set and looked to build on that momentum engaging in long rallies and delivering his fair share of aces. But Kyrgios was not about to succumb to the early pressure showcasing his attacking intent and pushing up to the net early and forcing errors from the Italian. The Aussie was brutal on the serve dishing up a 221kmh ace to gain the ascendancy in the set and stamp his authority on the Australian Open. Kygrios cruised to an easy set victory limiting his opponent to winning just two games and dictating the play with his impressive big hitting and using the angles to take Sonego out of the game.

After a clinical first set the second set was much closer with Sonego not giving an inch and challenging Kyrgios for every point. Sonego seemed to have found his groove hitting the ball freely and producing some cleverly crafted points- coming up hunting at the net and identifying the shots well. For the most part the momentum seemed to be with the Aussie, thanks to Kyrgios producing five aces – three consecutive – in that set alone and winning 85 per cent of his first serves but Sonego did enough to trouble the 24-year-old. In the end, the Aussie claimed the second set after enduring a tiring tiebreak with the advantage swinging back and forth.

It was much of the same in the third with Kyrgios powering through the first game and standing strong in the second to break his opponents serve. He showcased both his forehand and backhand throughout the set able to switch between the two with ease and hit the winning point. His movement across the court was solid, showing good patches of acceleration and ability to get up to the high balls when needed. Kyrgios showed plenty of variety in his shots using a wealth of depth to keep Sonego guessing about where the ball was going to go next but the Italian proved he was not going to go down without a fight answering every question that was thrown his way. With the match teetering on the edge of a fourth set it was time for the party tricks with Kyrgios pulling out his signature between the legs shot not once, but twice despite the second time not delivering the goods. His theatrics brought the crowd to life with the fans “ooing” and “ahhing” as the star went a game clear of his opponent. But Kyrgios was not about to have it all his own way with the Italian fighting back and pushing the Australian to a consecutive tiebreak which saw the same result as earlier, game-set-match Kyrgios.

It was a dominant display from Kyrgios who left his on-court antics behind and showed just how deadly he can be producing 14 aces. The most impressive stat of all was his potency on the first serve winning a whopping 91 per cent compared to Sonego’s 76 per cent. His ability to seize the moment was key sitting at 74 per cent for net points and while the Italian had less unforced errors with 21, he simply could not overcome the Kyrgios serve.