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Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios are out of the Brisbane International after losing their second round clash with top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus in the men’s doubles.
After a crowd-pleasing victory in the first round on Monday, the duo slipped to a narrow defeat and came within two points of victory before a devastating double fault from Djokovic opened the door for Metkic and Venus to clinch the match tie-breaker.
Djokovic and Kyrgios lost the match 6-2 3-6 10-8, with Mektic and Venus advancing to the quarter-finals.
“Down three points in the match tie-break it wasn’t looking great, but somehow we got back in there and Mekta hit a great return on match point,” Venus said.
Kyrgios, playing his first tournament since a wrist surgery in September 2023, admitted he was still having problems with his wrist following his defeat to Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a battle of big servers in men’s singles on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Grigor Dimitrov stayed on course for his title defence but women’s second seed Emma Navarro was stunned by local favourite Kimberly Birrell at the Brisbane International on Wednesday.
Two-time men’s champion Dimitrov downed Aleksandar Vukic 6-2 7-6(5) to advance to the quarter-finals, overcoming late resistance from the Australian wildcard.
“It’s such a home atmosphere, honestly. It doesn’t feel like a tournament to me,” the Bulgarian said, “That’s why I think the excitement is different. My attitude I think also changes quite a bit. It’s a very special week.”
Birrell gave the local fans something to cheer about as she pulled off the biggest win of her career, beating Navarro 7-5 7-5.
Egged on by the vociferous crowd at Pat Rafter Arena, the 113th-ranked wildcard broke to serve for it at 5-4 in both sets before closing it out on her second attempt.
“I’ve spent so many hours on this court since I was little,” the 26-year-old said, “I watched the Brisbane International when I was a kid and to get to play here and have the tournament that’s basically at home is so special.”
Daria Kasatkina overcame Peyton Stearns 7-6 4-6 7-5 in a slugfest lasting nearly three-and-half hours.
