Nick Kyrgios edges old rival in drama-filled thriller

Nick Kyrgios has backed up his victory over Rafael Nadal with a fiery win over Stan Wawrinka in the Mexican Open quarter-finals.

The Australian booked his place in the semis with a 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 triumph across two hours and 30 minutes of high-quality tennis in Acapulco.

Kyrgios looked destined to win the match in a second-set tiebreak after breaking Wawrinka to steal the momentum but an exchange with the umpire caused the Australian to lose focus.

Both players had made attempts to pump up the crowd but it was Kyrgios who was told by the umpire to tone down his celebrations.

Overcoming that mental battle and leg cramps in the third set, the Aussie broke Wawrinka and won the match on his own serve in the 10th game.

Kyrgios again engaged in a long-running battle with the crowd, who drew criticism for jeering a legitimate injury.

“I’m not sure what they’re booing about, because it’s too good?” one commentator said after Kyrgios’s second-set exchange with the umpire.

“He’s done nothing wrong there, nothing at all was wrong in that game. It’s what we want to see, isn’t it? Passion, emotion – we had all of it in that game.”

Kyrgios was firing on all cylinders otherwise, as seen by some brutal hitting that left Wawrinka, a three-time grand slam champion, with nothing to do but applaud.

The Aussie will face John Isner or countryman John Millman for a place in the final.

Crowd’s savage act leaves Kyrgios fuming

A day after his controversial win over Rafael Nadal, the Mexican Open crowd didn’t forgive the Aussie star.

Kyrgios was back in action against Stan Wawrinka, 24 hours after he was resoundingly booed after beating Nadal.

And it was more of the same on Friday as the crowd booed Kyrgios as he made his way out onto court.

But in unsavoury scenes during the opening game of the match, spectators jeered and booed Kyrgios when he suffered a legitimate injury.

The Aussie stumbled during a rally and grazed his hand on the court, leaving him with a nasty split across his knuckles.

Kyrgios was bleeding and couldn’t continue, calling for the trainer for some running repairs.

But the Mexico crowd wasn’t impressed, booing Kyrgios for the delay.

“Unfortunately for him there’s so many instances of where there’s gamesmanship potentially – that every time something as innocent and innocuous as this, there’ll be people in the crowd and some people watching will think ‘here we go again, it’s Nick Kyrgios’,” one commentator said.

“Which is rather unfair.”

Kyrgios was heard expressing his disdain.

“What is f***ing wrong with these f***ing people,” Kyrgios asked the trainer about the boos.

“There’s blood all over my hand, what the f*** do you want me to do?

“This is f***ing insane.”

with AAP