Thanasi Kokkinakis has been beaten by Fernando Verdasco in a heated third round match at the Miami Open while Nick Kyrgios breezed into the round of 16. After upsetting Roger Federer in the second round, Kokkinakis lost to Verdasco in three sets 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to be knocked out of the tournament.
Spanish veteran Verdasco battled to a 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win over Kokkinakis in a match which included a heated exchange between the pair about the Australian qualifier's father at a change of ends in the third set.
But tension boiled over during the third set after Verdasco told a member of the crowd to be quiet. And that member of the crowd happened to be Kokkinakis’ father.
Himself no stranger to controversy, Kyrgios also weighed in on the Kokkinakis-Verdasco exchange via Twitter.
During the almost three-hour showdown Kyrgios tweeted: "I hope TK wins this match, Verdasco is the saltiest dude, must be frustrated at his past success against Aussies."
