Australian Open: Nick Kyrgios charges into the second round after victory over Frederico Ferreira Silva

It was the request that made the entire tennis world take notice. Whose girlfriend did Nick Kyrgios want out of his player box so badly?

Nick Kyrgios got the job done in his Grand Slam opener. Picture: Getty Images

It took until only the third game on Monday night for the Nick Kyrgios experience to reveal itself.

There was always a suspicion that Kyrgios and his high-octane game – even in spite of uncertainty around his sore knee – would be too overwhelming for a Portuguese qualifier on his grand slam debut.

The match followed the script, with Australian tennis’ greatest showman sending Frederico Ferreira Silva packing in a convincing 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory on his beloved John Cain Arena.

After an early hiccup, where Kyrgios didn’t move out of first gear in lethargically conceding a break to fall 0-2 down, the inevitable fun began.

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Nick Kyrgios got the job done in his Grand Slam opener. Picture: Getty Images

“Are you awake? Are you awake? Are you awake?” (three times, just to be sure)

Whoever those Kyrgios words were for, it was him who came alive in an extraordinary game that included 10 deuces, great shot-making and eight break points before the Canberran finally broke through.

It took 27 minutes for the players to sit down for the first time, the bulk of them spent in that absorbing third game where Kyrgios talked himself into action.

This was a night when spectators needed to be as alert with their ears as their eyes.

After the seventh of those eight break points went begging, Kyrgios roared towards his support team: “Tell your girlfriend to get out of my box.”

Kyrgios said post-match he wasn’t referring to his brother Christos’ girlfriend, Alicia Gowans, but it hardly mattered, even after he made the same request after the fifth game.

For the record, no one left Kyrgios box.

“I’m a nutcase when I’m on court,” Kyrgios said with a laugh.

The victory did not come without its frustrations for Kyrgios. Picture: AFP

“It was just heat-of-the-battle type stuff. It was just being out there, all those emotions again. You outlet into people that you know have your back and you know that’s not gonna change.

“One person that, you know, a lot of people can kind of relate to those outbursts and you just need to verbalise it and lash out on someone sometimes.

“Then I calmed down and started playing some decent tennis.”

A random spectator also felt Kyrgios’ gentle scorn, after being a tad noisy while Ferreira Silva was serving. “Be quiet … have some respect for the kid.”

This was all before the world No.47 secured a one-set lead.

Kyrgios had some running banter with his supporter box. Picture: Michael Klein

And while the sideshow was entertaining, the main act – Kyrgios’ tennis – was impressive enough, after he shed some understandable rust from almost a year off at last week’s Murray River Open.

Kyrgios’ serve generated 14 aces, his inside-out forehand crashed through Ferreira Silva’s defences more than he would’ve enjoyed, his backhand is always reliable and his volleying was mostly first class.

The show reel also included a typically outrageous half-volley ‘tweener that added to his 40-strong winner tally.

There will be greater tests ahead, notably French 25th seed Ugo Humbert next, then potentially last year’s runner-up Dominic Thiem after that.

But so far, so good.

Originally published as Australian Open: Nick Kyrgios charges into the second round after victory over Frederico Ferreira Silva