London - Nick Kyrgios set up a potential Wimbledon blockbuster with Rafael Nadal on Tuesday with a 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 7-6 (12/10), 0-6, 6-1 win over fellow Australian Jordan Thompson.
Kyrgios, who stunned Nadal as a 144-ranked wildcard on his tournament debut in 2014, put in a typically raucous and charismatic display on Court 3.
In a match where he fired 23 aces and 63 winners, the 24-year-old argued with the umpire, slumped over the net and played dead.
He also hit an underarm serve on set point in the third set, shaped to imitate a forward defensive cricket shot and celebrated a point by running around madly in a circle.
If world number two Nadal defeats Japan's Yuichi Sugita later Tuesday, the two will meet just four months after Kyrgios defeated the Spaniard in a stormy clash in Acapulco.
It was his third win over Nadal in six meetings.
Nadal accused the Australian of "lacking respect" in that match while Kyrgios described the Spaniard as "salty".
On Tuesday, Kyrgios put on a trademark display.
After dropping the second set, he needed a medical timeout for a leg injury before attempting -- and failing -- to finish the third set with an underarm serve.
He eventually took the set on an eighth set point before conceding an 18-minute fourth set in which he collected just five points.
However, two breaks in a more composed decider setted the tie.
Wimbledon results on Tuesday (x denotes seeding):
Men
1st round
Sam Querrey (USA) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT x5) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-0
Gilles Simon (FRA x20) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-2
Dan Evans (GBR) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO x18) bt James Ward (GBR) 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 7-6 (12/10), 0-6, 6-1
Kei Nishikori (JPN x8) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
Steve Johnson (USA) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
Alex De Minaur (AUS x25) bt Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)
Matteo Berrettini (ITA x17) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Brayden Schnur (CAN) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
Women
1st round
Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Saisai Zheng (CHN) 6-4, 6-2
Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Harriet Dart (GBR) bt Christina McHale (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 5-7, 7-5, 6-4
Belinda Bencic (SUI x13) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-2, 6-3
Lauren Davis (USA) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 6-3, 6-2
Angelique Kerber (GER x5) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-4, 6-3
Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Katie Swan (GBR) 6-2, 6-4
Barbora Zahlavova (CZE) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR x32) 6-3, 6-2
Elise Mertens (BEL x21) bt Fiona Ferro (FRA) 6-2, 6-0
Monica Niculescu (ROU) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) bt Eugénie Bouchard (CAN) 6-3, 5-7, 8-6
Wang Qiang (CHN x15) bt Vera Lapko (BLR) 6-2, 6-2
Sloane Stephens (USA x9) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 6-2, 6-4
Wang Yafan (CHN) bt Tereza Martincova (CZE) 6-2, 7-5
Katerina Siniaková (CZE) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
Johanna Konta (GBR x19) bt Ana Bogdan (ROU) 7-5, 6-2
Magda Linette (POL) bt Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-0, 7-6 (11/9)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2
