Andy Murray has ended home hopes at the Australian Open for another year with a hard-earned straight-sets win over Bernard Tomic in the fourth round.

Murray trumped Tomic 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in two hours and 30 minutes on Monday night, the defeat extending Australia’s title drought to 38 years since unseeded giantkiller Chris O’Neil captured the women’s singles crown in Melbourne back in 1978.

Tomic played catch-up all night at Rod Laver Arena as the reigning Olympic champion overcame a disrupted and dramatic build-up to improve his perfect tour record against Australian rivals to a crazy 19-0, and surge into the last eight for a seventh time.

• Nick Kyrgios finally reveals his mystery woman
• Kyrgios answers phone on court, dodges fine
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But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the world No.2, who at one stage unleashed a verbal spray at his players’ box.

Serving for the first set at 5-2, Murray lost the next two games as Tomic appeared to have the Scot rattled.

His mood wasn’t helped when he spotted someone in his coaching box staring at their phone rather than watching the match.

“Get off the phone!” Murray yelled across the court.

It isn’t clear who he was directing his anger at.

Nobody does grumpy like Andy Murray https://t.co/x6O77aoSJL

— Bailey Towers (@cappertowers) January 25, 2016

“GET OFF THE PHONE!!!”- Andy Murray plz. #AusOpen — Evelyn (@whatevsAU) January 25, 2016

Lol Andy Murray cray.. yelling at his box to get off the phone.. yeh blame them for you losing a point.. :/

— Heidi Petropoulos (@HeidiP831) January 25, 2016

#andymurray spitting fury at his box for being on the phone. Not a good look. #ausopen #angryandy — Huxley Moss (@HuxleyMossMedia) January 25, 2016

“It seems to be pretty normal (for current players), but to me it’s just a waste of energy,” Jim Courier said on Channel 7.

“Murray is agitated. Someone in there must be checking out the old email. He is not happy about it.”

Just moments later, Murray became frustrated with his shorts when a ball appeared to fall loose during a service game.

“Now he’s angry at his shorts,” Courier said.

“It’s all going wrong for him, but he’s still in the lead.

Murray wasn’t a happy chappy. Photo: Getty

“He’s not pleased.”

It is not the first incident at this year’s Australian Open with a phone, after Nick Kyrgios was caught answering his mobile on court before a mixed doubles match with new girlfriend Ajla Tomljanovic.

One might forgive Murray his petulance on this occasion, with his mind more than likely on father-in-law Nigel Sears, coach of former women’s world No.1 Ana Ivanovic, who collapsed in the stands on Saturday night.

The dual grand slam champion’s wife is also heavily pregnant, with the second seed vowing to cut short his Open tilt and return home to London should he get the call.

“It’s been a very, very tough few days,” Murray said.

“A lot of emotions; it’s been sort of changing all the time in my head. It’s been a stressful few days.

“But it’s good to get through today and now I can rest up and hopefully feel more relaxed.”

How the match panned out

Any hopes Tomic might have had of the four-time finalist’s focus being elsewhere were blown away with two service breaks for Murray in the opening set.

Tomic dropped serve for a third time to fall behind early in the second set and, even after gaining a foothold in the match with a break of his own for 1-1, the 16th seed gave it straight back.

Bernard Tomic played well but was ultimately outclassed by the world No.2. Photo: Getty

Murray snared another break in the third game of the third set before Tomic finally showed signs of life to strike right back, then hold to love for 3-2 after winning the rally of the match.

The 23-year-old said pre-match he’d been fired up by Roger Federer’s challenge to crack the world’s top 10.

But his current career-high ranking will instead go south next week after the Queenslander’s campaign ended frustratingly in the round of 16 for a third time in four years.

Despite pushing Murray into a tiebreak for the first time in four meetings, Tomic’s spirited late stand was not enough as the British Davis Cup hero closed out the contest on his second match point to spoil Australia Day celebrations at Melbourne Park before they even started.

“It was a tough match. Both of us had chances,” Murray said.

“He fought right till the end and made it tough for me. I was just able to make a few more balls.

Murray next plays David Ferrer on Wednesday for a semi-final spot after the eighth-seeded Spaniard ousted power-serving American 10th seed John Isner 6-4 6-4 7-5 earlier on Monday.

-with AAP