- British No 3 pulls shocks home hope 7-6 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (2)
- Fearnley marks significant milestone with victory
Nick Kyrgios’s long-awaited return to the grand slam stage proved something of a let-down as Briton Jacob Fearnley sent the ailing home hero out of the Australian Open first round in straight sets on Monday.
A capacity crowd packed out Kyrgios’s favourite John Cain Arena for his first match at Melbourne Park in three years, hoping the tennis showman could shrug off an abdominal strain to battle through. Most left deflated as Kyrgios went down swinging in a 7-6(3) 6-3 7-6(2) defeat, with the injury hampering his serve and movement.