British number one Cameron Norrie suffered a third-round exit to the Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka on day five of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
The Wimbledon semi-finalist, who was the 11th seed in the year's opening Grand Slam, went down 7-6[8] 3-6 6-3 1-6 4-6 to the 21-year-old in three hours and 11 minutes.
Firing three aces in the first set, albeit with no breaks to his name, Norrie edged ahead in the tie-breaker before falling 3-0 down in the second as Lehecka came roaring back.
Improving his first-serve percentage in the third, Norrie went 2-1 up in the match before losing six of the next seven games in the fourth set, where four missed break points on the Lehecka serve bedevilled him.
The Briton was then broken twice in the fifth set, and while he managed to earn one back immediately, a resilient Lehecka held out and clinched his first-ever fourth-round Grand Slam berth as Norrie sent one final tired backhand into the net.
Lehecka has been rewarded with a last-16 showdown against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, who was once again taken to at least four sets in his battle with Francisco Cerundolo but prevailed 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-4.
© Reuters
Following Norrie's elimination, 2022 runner-up Daniil Medvedev also saw his hopes of Grand Slam glory come to an end, as he was stunned in straight sets by the USA's Sebastian Korda.
Korda took just under three hours to record a 7-6[7] 6-3 7-6[4] win over the Russian second seed, and he will meet Hubert Hurkacz in round four after the Pole edged past Denis Shapovalov in five sets.
Elsewhere, women's number one seed Iga Swiatek took under an hour to record an emphatic win over world number 100 Cristina Bucsa, prevailing 6-0 6-1 and setting up a last-16 battle with Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who defeated 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins in three sets.
Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula ensured that the USA would be represented in the last 16 with wins over Bernarda Pera and Marta Kostyuk respectively, but Madison Keys lost in three sets to Victoria Azarenka, and Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkari suffered a shock three-set defeat to world number 87 Lin Zhu.
Finally, Jannik Sinner came from two sets down to see off Marton Fucsovics, while third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas eased past Tallon Griekspoor, and Karen Khachanov downed Frances Tiafoe in four sets.
Ben Knapton
