Three hours and three saved match points later, Nick Kyrgios downs Rafael Nadal

Shahida Jacobs
Nick Kyrgios celebrates victory

The Rafael Nadal-Nick Kyrgios second-round clash at the Mexican Open lived up to expectation as they delivered a three-hour battle with the Australian edging it.

Top seed Nadal won the opening set, but Kyrgios outlasted him in the two tie-breakers to win 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (8-6) in three hours and two minutes.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner claimed the only break of the match in game six of the opening set, but Kyrgios led early in the second-set tie-breaker and then served it out.

Nadal, though, had the early advantage in the deciding-set tie-breaker and had three match points before the Australian turned things around to secure a third win in six matches against the Spaniard.

Next up is Stan Wawrinka after the three-time Grand Slam beat seventh seed Steve Johnson 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

Third seed John Isner had a relatively quiet day as the American secured a 6-4, 6-4 win over compatriot Sam Querrey and he will face Australian John Millman, a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Peter Gojowczyk, for a place in the semi-final.

Cameron Norrie, meanwhile, pulled off another great upset as he beat fourth seed Diego Schwartzman from Argentine 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-3.

The Brit’s reward is a clash against Mackenzie McDonald, who won the all-American match against sixth seed Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (9-11), 7-5, 6-3.

In the final match of the evening, second seed Alexander Zverev saw off the challenge of David Ferrer to earn a date with Alex De Minaur.

The German won 7-6 (7-0), 6-1 while Australian De Minaur advanced courtesy a walkover over Feliciano Lopez.

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