Nick Kyrgios dumps out rival Stefanos Tsitsipas in explosive Wimbledon blockbuster

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Gobby Aussie Nick Kyrgios ripped and ranted his way into the second week of Wimbledon after he won an explosive, bitter battle against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Wimbledon crowd barely knew what had hit them as the world number 40 took out fourth seed Tsitsipas in one of the most heated clashes ever seen at the All England Club.

After his sensational 6-7 6-4 6-3 7-6 victory, the Canberra star said: “That was a hell of a match and hell of a crowd and he’s a hell of a player.

“Whatever happens on court, I fully respect him. I love him.”

Yeah right!

Kyrgios had created a stream of unwanted headlines in round one when fined £8,000 for spitting in the direction of home spectators heckling him against Brit Paul Jubb.

But that paled into insignificance alongside the fiery events that littered his victory yesterday evening before a packed, at times shocked audience.

There were code violations for both men – Krygios for using the f-word, Tsitsipas for thumping the ball away in fury – twice.

And Kyrgios also called for Tsitsipas to be booted out of the Championships for endangering spectators’ safety – and for the tournament supervisor to intervene.

Yet that was only half the tale as Kyrgios somehow retained his control, with racket in hand at least, to book his place in the fourth round on Monday, where he meets American Jenson Brooksby.

Despite 35 places between the pair, the actual gulf proved irrelevant with Kyrgios, a quarter-finalist here in 2014, matching Tsitsipas throughout a lightning encounter.

Love or loathe him, the crazy man from Down Under is an entertainer, if nothing else – and during a gripping opening set he treated the crowd to a show of brilliant, flamboyant tennis.

The first eruption arrived midway through the 11th game of the first set when Kyrgios lost his rag after he had to challenge for a forehand drive being incorrectly called out.

He lost the replayed point, sparking his first foul-mouthed exchange with umpire Damien Dumusois..

And in the tie-break, that he lost his 7-2, a line judge reported him for telling spectators to ‘f’*cking shut up’.

The simmering row between player and chair umpire continued into the next set but that did not stop the wild man of the sport almost breaking for a 5-3 lead.

At 5-4, Kyrgios was again reported for swearing, by a different linesman, leading to his first official warning.

However, that seemed to inspire him as he broke the Athens ace to level the red-hot clash, by taking the set 6-4.

In frustration Tsitsipas hit a ball into the crowd, narrowly missing a spectator. When the world No 5 received a code violation, his rival demanded he should be disqualified.

When informed his opponent had escaped being defaulted as nobody had been hurt by the flying ball, Kyrgios lost the plot demanding ‘all supervisors’ come to court.

Tsitsipas, meanwhile, went for a toilet break and on returning fulled the increasing animosity between the pair by asking why ‘the gentleman has put his towel in the wrong bin’.

In between a tennis match occasionally broke out, during which Kyrgios took control as he broke for the second time to edge 3-1 ahead.

But even that was not without controversy as rattled Tsitsipas whacked a Kyrgios underarm serve high into the darkening skies – and was promptly docked a point.

The bad blood on court was boiling over as the Greek moaned about the Aussie’s behaviour before hammering a smash inches past his tormentor, who later retaliated by bowing rather than apologising for a lucky net cord that put two him two sets to one up.

Tsitsipas seemed on the brink at 0-40 in his opening service game of the fourth but somehow survived, saving four break points.

Calm was restored midway through the set – temporarily – when the roof was closed.But it was not long before they were fighting out another tie break of sizzling drama.

And this time it was Kyrgios who held his nerve, sealing the deal on his second match point with a beauty of a drop shot to take it 9-7.

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