Australian Open 2021: Men’s results from day three

Another seed has crashed out of the Australian Open after Stanislas Wawrinka lost one of the matches of the tournament on day three.

Hungary's Marton Fucsovics upstaged Stanislas Wawrinka in a five-set classic.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka was bundled out of the Australian Open in the second round on Wednesday after a draining five-set epic, ending hopes of matching his quarter-final run last year.

The 35-year-old Swiss, the tournament winner in 2014, struggled to match the intensity of Martin Fucsovics in the opening two sets but regrouped to stay in the fight.

On a scorching hot day, the 17th seed had three match points in the fifth set tiebreaker but blew them all, with the Hungarian reeling off five straight points for a famous 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 7-6 (11/9) win in just under four hours.

“Right now I feel like I’m dying, I’m really tired,” said Fucsovics, who was playing his second straight five-setter.

“It was a long match. I knew he was going to come back, he’s a strong player physically and mentally.” Fucsovics, ranked 55, last year equalled his best Grand Slam result in Melbourne when he reached the round of 16, only to be sent packing by Roger Federer.

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He will play either Canadian 14th seed Milos Raonic for a place in the fourth round, where world number one Novak Djokovic potentially awaits

“He’s a very strong player mentally and physically … but in the fifth set I came back with a different mentality,” Fucsovics added.

“I tried to (be) more active with my feet and come into the net.

“I was very strong mentally … that was most important.

“I work out a lot in the gym and I have a very good team around me.

“Everything is very good around me. We were training very hard for this.

“This is my favourite Grand Slam tournament. I reached the fourth round twice, never lost in the first round … I want to enjoy this moment, enjoy the sunshine.

“I’m happy to be here.”

Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka feels the heat during his second-round defeat.

THIEM RACES INTO THIRD ROUND

US Open champion Dominic Thiem stepped up a gear Wednesday to race past German Dominik Koepfer and into the Australian Open third round.

The third seed was in the zone on Margaret Court Arena, cruising through 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 to set up a potential blockbuster clash next with crowd favourite Nick Kyrgios, who plays French 29th seed Ugo Humbert on Wednesday night.

Left-hander Koepfer, ranked 70, had never before defeated a top-five opponent and was out of his depth in the 1hr 39mins mauling.

He gave Thiem a run for his money in the opening set but then self-imploded on a hot day with the Austrian dominating on his serve, returning well and owning the baseline.

“It was great, to be honest,” Thiem said of his performance.

“I really love this court and have pretty good stats on it, so super happy to be back.”

“Today was good,” he added. “My best match so far in Australia (this year).

Thiem, a narrow loser to Novak Djokovic in last year’s Melbourne final, finally cracked the big time when he produced a historic comeback to beat Alexander Zverev in the US Open final last year.

He is in Melbourne without his coach Nicolas Massu, who tested positive for the coronavirus, and is instead working under his father, Wolfgang.

What. A. Match. 😱

Fucsovics survives multiple match points for Wawrinka in the fifth set tiebreak to triumph in a classic 👏👏

7-5 6-1 4-6 2-6 7-6(11) #AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/rbpJM337nU

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 10, 2021

"This is my favourite Grand Slam tournament...I want to enjoy this moment, I want to enjoy the sunshine" 🌞😃

Take a bow, Marton Fucsovics, you're through to round 3⃣ 🙌#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/S7rLalKUJO

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 10, 2021