Bernard Tomic beats Nick Kyrgios at the Kooyong Classic

Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios continue to test the public's opinion with fans complaining about their efforts - or lack of - at Kooyong, but it was Tomic's final shot that had everyone stunned. 

Inspired by Bernard Tomic’s recovery from career oblivion, Nick Kyrgios believes the rejuvenated Queenslander is among a swag of locals capable of making significant Australian Open runs.

Undaunted by a 6-3 6-4 Kooyong Classic loss to Tomic, Kyrgios predicts his former Davis Cup team-mate, Alex de Minaur and John Millman can shape the first grand slam of the season.

“I think we (Tomic and Kyrgios) can make deep runs at the Australian Open but also we’ve got de Minaur, Millman, we’ve got so many players,” Kyrgios said.

“I think it’s an exciting time for Australian tennis. We’ve got such a wide variety of players.”

Kyrgios said he was impressed by Tomic’s effort to rebuild his ranking from No 243 to No 85 after the pair jousted under Kooyong's relaxed format.

“He is extremely talented. I’m always hoping that he just puts in the hard yards,” Kyrgios said.

“It is great to see him back out here. I know he was going through some rough times. He won a title (Chengdu) last year and it looks like he is carrying a bit of momentum.

UNPRECEDENTED SCENES on match point as Bernard Tomic has defeated @NickKyrgios in first-ever clash! 🇦🇺👀 Our EXCLUSIVE, LIVE, FREE & HD coverage of day 2 @KooyongClassic action continues right now! #sbstennis https://t.co/qLdmLjB9Ko pic.twitter.com/Gj79mu6hVE

— SBS Sport (@SBSSport) January 9, 2019

“It is good to see. To get back out here against him is good.

“Definitely to see the lows he went through in his career and to see he can win a title, that’s definitely not easy.

“He looks happy, he looks healthy. It’s sad to see a talent like that go down and just get beaten down.

“To see him with a smile on his face, embracing the crowd, he loves that.

“He can make a run at the Australian Open for sure.”

Bernard Tomic continues to impress at Kooyong. Picture: Getty Images

With qualifying incomplete, Kyrgios is among 11 Australians in the men's draw, with world No 29 de Minaur leading the home challenge.

Millman, Matt Ebden, Jordan Thompson and Tomic were also direct entries, with Jason Kubler, James Duckworth, Alexei Popyrin, Marc Polmans and Alex Bolt earning wildcards.

Tomic and Kyrgios barely got out of second gear in a relaxed encounter which fittingly ended when Tomic claimed victory in the pair’s first clash with an under-arm serve between his legs.

“I honestly didn’t know what was going on,” Kyrgios said.

“I looked down, I looked up and he was doing some weird motion and all of a sudden the ball popped out between his legs and I thought ‘Oh, he wants it, he can have it’.”

Kyrgios insists he will not watch tomorrow night’s Australian Open draw as he focuses on returning to the second week of a major for the first time since Melbourne Park in 2015.

“I guess I just have to raise my game a little bit. I’ve been to the fourth round so many times, two quarter-finals,” the Canberran said.

“I’ve had some tough matches in those rounds. I guess I just have to play better at the end of the day.”

In a preceding Kooyong Classic match of far greater intensity, Marin Cilic shaded Kevin Anderson 6-3 4-6 15-13.