Thanasi Kokkinakis has gone some way towards vanquishing last year's heartbreaking Australian Open loss to Andy Murray by claiming a typical five-set victory in his Melbourne Park opener.
A year on from his 4am exit after a marathon with five-time runner-up Murray, Kokkinakis outlasted Austrian Sebastian Ofner 7-6(7/1), 2-6, 6-7(4/7), 6-1, 7-6(10/8) in front of a raucous crowd.
In the process, the 27-year-old teed up a tantalising clash with 13th seed Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Marton Fucsovics earlier on Tuesday.
The gruelling 4 hour, 18 minute clash, coming back from a two-sets-to-one deficit, brought the best out of the Australian.
"Mate, I wish I could do it easier but I can't," he said.
"I've got the mental focus of a three-year-old.
"However I can get it done, you guys [the crowd] are amazing. Without you, no chance I'm winning."
Kokkinakis let last year's second-round clash with Murray slip over the course of five hours and 45 minutes — the second-longest match in Australian Open history.
Kokkinakis battled through a see-sawing match tie-break to reach the second round for a fifth time.
The South Australian landed two match points and while Ofner managed to save the first on serve he hit the second on Kokkinakis's serve into the net.
Kokkinakis will attempt to reach the third round for the first time when he faces No.13 seed Dimitrov.
"Grigor's a hell of a player, been doing this for a while now and he is in some great form right now," Kokkinakis said.
"But yeah, I back myself … I've beaten high-ranked players before, I've lost to lower-ranked players. It's a number.
"It's about coming out on the day and playing my best tennis — hopefully I can do that."
Meanwhile, Ajla Tomljanović came from two breaks down in the final set to defeat Croatian Petra Martić.
Tomljanović won the opening set, which lasted more than an hour, in a tie-break before struggling to hold her serve in the second.
Down two break points in the final set, Tomljanović looked out of the contest before reeling off five straight games to claim victory 7-6(7/3), 4-6, 6-4.
"I really was out at one point," she said.
"I felt like she was kind of toying with me and I couldn't read her serve.
"I'm really grateful that you all [the crowd] stayed this late."
Keep across all the latest from Melbourne Park in our blog below, check out live scores with our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage
AAP/ABC
We have enjoyed another wonderful day of tennis, with some terrific victories from Aussies.
We will be back again tomorrow as the men's and women's singles draw enter the second round.
We will cover all the action from Melbourne Park live.
Goodnight.
Amazing grit from Ajla Tomljanovic tonight to come back and take that epic match. Go Aussies!
- Belinda
Could not agree more Belinda.
A sensational performance from Ajla to win.
Tomljanović is speaking after the match:
I really was out at one point.
I felt like she was kind of toying with me and I couldn't read her serve.
I'm really grateful that you all [the crowd] stayed this late.
What an outstanding win by Ajla Tomljanović.
Down two breaks in the final set, Tomljanović won five consecutive games.
The crowd loved watching it, with a massive roar when she won.
Go, Ajla go!
She fights back in the eighth game to square the set.
Momentum is with the Australian now.
Tomljanović was down two break points at one stage in this final set, but she has got one of them back.
She is facing Martić's serve, down 3-4.
Ajla is battling on serve as Martić turns up the pressure.
All the controversy about late night tennis games, what's the reason for not starting the day at 9am in those arenas where the so call big players play.
- Chris
Hey Chris.
I don't have a certain answer, but I can imagine 9am is not the best time commercially.
That's more like it from the two-time grand slam winner.
Brilliant from the Spaniard as Gasquet starts to look tired.
Ajla had two set points at 5-4 with the serve.
She had the serve at 6-5, but was forced into a tie-break.
But Tomljanović would not be denied, coming through the tie-break 7-3 to go up a set.
Both men are holding serve and Gasquet had chances in that tie-break.
But the 2023 Wimbledon champion got the set.
The 11th game of the first set took an age.
Tomljanović was finally able to get the break on her fourth break point attempt.
Meanwhile, Petra Martić had six attempts to close out that game and take a lead in the set.
That service game lasted 18 minutes.
Tomljanović will serve for the set at 6-5.
Tomljanović had the break and was serving for the match in the 10th game of the opening set.
She had two set points, but failed to convert and then gave up the break.
5-5, on serve.
I reckon Gasquet has had drier showers than this
- Frenchie
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