Tomas Berdych extinguished the hopes of young Aussie showman Nick Kyrgios with a regimented four-sets win to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday. Berdych, a two-time semi-finalist, was too cool and focused for the easily distracted 20-year-old, winning 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in a rowdy night match on Rod Laver Arena.
The Czech sixth seed advanced to the last 16 for the sixth consecutive Grand Slam where he will face Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, who knocked out 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in straight sets. The big-serving Berdych, faced with a partisan home crowd, mastered the occasion breaking Kyrgios's serve three times, while the madcap Aussie repeatedly clashed with the umpire and engaged in a long-running conversation with himself.
The Czech iron man, who upset Rafael Nadal on the way to last year's semi-finals, won the majority of the longer rallies and hit 44 winners, 26 of them on his big forehand. Kyrgios gave his home supporters some hope with a fightback in the third set when he twice broke Berdych's serve, but the Czech regrouped in the fourth set to clinically finish off the Aussie.
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