Nick Kyrgios has overcome nose bleeds, a bad back and a tenacious Tunisian to safely join Bernard Tomic in the last 16 of the Australian Open.

Completing a triumphant night double for Australia, Kyrgios ended Malek Jaziri’s surprise run with a 6-3 7-6 (10-8) 6-1 third-round victory over the world No.75.

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Incredibly, having not won a tour match since the US Open in September, Kyrgios now has a huge opportunity to emulate his charge to last year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Instead of an expected showdown with Roger Federer on Sunday, Kyrgios will square off with Italian Andreas Seppi, a shock four-set winner over the Swiss superstar earlier on Friday.

Kyrgios took care of Seppi in the second round in New York in what proved to be the 19-year-old’s last ATP win of 2014 before calling an end to his exhausting campaign in October.

After withdrawing from the Hopman Cup with a back complaint and losing in the first round in Sydney, Kyrgios hadn’t won a match this year before arriving at Melbourne Park.

Earlier, Bernard Tomic upstaged compatriot Sam Groth in a high-quality serving duel to storm into the fourth round.

In a rare all-Australian third-round match, Tomic trumped the tournament’s ace leader 6-4 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 to book a last-16 showdown on Sunday with seventh seed Tomas Berdych.

With a coveted place in the second week up for grabs, Roger Federer’s removal from the Australian pair’s quarter of the draw earlier on Friday raised the stakes even higher.

And Tomic and Groth didn’t disappoint, both serving at over 70 per cent for much of the match.

But it was Tomic, higher-ranked and vastly more experienced on the big stage, who rose his game when it mattered.

He seized the only two service breaks of the match to clinch the first and third sets and held his nerve in the pivotal second-set tiebreaker in another cool and composed display from the one-time grand slam quarter-finalist.

Tomic has lost his only two tour matches to Berdych, both times in four sets at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2014, but enjoyed a win over the big Czech en route to the Kooyong Classic title three years ago.

Berdych knows he has another battle on his hands.

“I’ve played Tomic a couple of times in slams at Wimbledon and they were both very tough matches,” he said after beating Viktor Troicki in straight sets on Friday.

“He really loves to play on grass and they weren’t easy matches at all, but here there’s always a bit extra for him playing in front of home crowds.

“He’s not an easy opponent at all.”

– AAP