Nick Kyrgios has some of Australian tennis' biggest names in his corner, confident the 20-year-old is a future grand slam champion.
"Not far away": Nick Kyrgios. Photo: AP
"He's not far away from challenging for an Australian Open," John Newcombe said. "You watch him play and he seems to be able to raise himself to another level when he needs to. He just needs to keep working at it. I'm not sure he's quite there yet on the physical side and we'll only find that out when he has to have a couple of tough five-set matches one after the other.
"But certainly if he's not 100 per cent physically fit, then he's not going to win an Australian Open because you've got to do a heck of a lot of hard work as you get to the quarters and the semis. The guys that are at the top now, they can do that, and I don't know if Nick can yet. But he's fun to watch and he's got a great game - he's got the potential to be a top-four player."
Kyrgios has a tough task ahead of him against Tomas Berdych, but Pat Cash believes the Australian has the game to unsettle the big Czech.
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"I absolutely think he'll get through Tomas Berdych," Cash said. "But whether he can back up with five sets and then another five sets ... it might be a little bit beyond him this year. I think Nick has absolute grand slam potential - I'm not sure if it's a little bit too far for him this year to go all the way but next year for sure. He'll do really well in this tournament and in the future."
Djokovic dismisses "absurd" reports
World No.1 Novak Djokovic has dismissed as "absurd" Italian media reports alleging he deliberately threw a match as a 19-year-old in 2007. Following yet another straight-sets win at the Australian Open on Wednesday night, Djokovic was bombarded with questions about the match he lost when he was world No.4 to the now retired Fabrice Santoro at the Paris Masters nine years ago.
Djokovic admitted at the time he was struggling to perform at his best during the match in question because of dental surgery he had to remove two wisdom teeth prior to the tournament. He was not impressed with the line of questioning, but when pressed on the allegations in Italian newspaper Tuttosport , the Serbian denied he intentionally threw the match.
"It's not true," Djokovic said. "What it is to say? I've lost that match. I don't know if you're trying to create a story about that match or for that matter any of the matches of the top players losing in the early rounds, I think it's just absurd. Anybody can create a story about any match. That's my point.
"There hasn't been too many matches where top players lost in the last decade or so in early rounds. You can pick any match that you like that the top player lost and just create a story out of it. I think it's not supported by any kind of proof, any evidence, any facts. It's just speculation. So I don't think there is a story about it."
Ivanovic shaken by spectator fall
Ana Ivanovic said she was left shaken when, during her second-round win over Anastasija Sevastova on Thursday morning, she heard a spectator crashing down a set of stairs.
The match was delayed for more than 25 minutes when a woman in the crowd at Rod Laver Arena fell down the flight of steps. Tennis officials at the Australian Open said a health professional in the crowd went immediately to help the woman, first aid officers working at the event followed and she was eventually carried away on a stretcher.
"I just hope the lady was fine," she said. "It was actually good that we had to wait a little bit because I was really shaking, because I could imagine and it was not so nice. Then they told us she was bleeding, so, yeah, I hope she's well."
Courting romance
Is this confirmation of the worst kept secret in tennis?
Australians Nick Kyrgios and Ajla Tomljanovic, who have been rumoured to be a couple for months, will play mixed doubles together at this year's Australian Open.
The pair have done little to quell rumours of romance, spending most of the summer together practicing overseas and in Brisbane.
Kyrgios has not been very discreet about it either, making several references on social media about the pair's relationship.
The 20-year-old firebrand last played mixed doubles at a grand slam with Canadian Eugenie Bouchard at the US Open last year, also linking with American Madison Keys at Wimbledon.
A victory in the opening round for Kyrgios and Tomljanovic will potentially set up a second-round clash against Australian couple Daria Gavrilova and Luke Saville, who have been in a relationship for more than four years.
With Lara Nicholson