THE ballad of Nick Kyrgios continues.

The 24-year-old’s four-set Australian Open men’s singles victory over French journeyman Gilles Simon delivered peak Kyrgios.

Two barnstorming opening sets, a meltdown in the third set that threatened to carry over into the fourth, a dispute with an umpire followed by openly mocking a rival, a stirring crowd-pleasing win on the back of some brutal serves ...