Nick Kyrgios has continued his stellar form to defeat big-serving American John Isner in straight sets and put Australia on the brink of the Davis Cup's final four.
Kyrgios won 7-5 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5) against Isner at Brisbane's Pat Rafter Arena to give Australia an unexpected 2-0 lead in the World Group quarter-final tie.
After Jordan Thompson's shock victory over Jack Sock in the opening rubber, it leaves them just one win away from a semi-final date against Italy or Belgium in September.
Kyrgios, coming off arguably the best stretch of his career, which has included two wins over Novak Djokovic, looked confident and untroubled throughout.
The 21-year-old clawed back from 5-2 down in the deciding tiebreaker with a pair of stunning returns to end Isner's resistance after nearly two-and-a-half hours.
Kyrgios admitted he has not always played so desperately.
"I'm trying to knuckle down and compete for every point and that's something I haven't done in the past," Kyrgios said.
"I'm still very emotional out there, I still challenge the umpire, I still say what I think, I still throw my racquet, I still swear.
"I'm only human. I'm not going to change in that department.
"But I'll just compete every point."
Kyrgios gave away 15cm in height but still managed to out serve Isner, slamming 20 aces to 15, many of them coming at key moments.
World No.23 Isner made a sizzling start and raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set.
But Kyrgios recovered to win it 7-5 and then held his nerve in the second-set tiebreaker.
"I felt like I played well enough to have beaten a lot of people out there today," Isner said.
"But not Nick."
Earlier, Thompson scored his biggest scalp yet by beating top-ranked American Sock to claim a tense 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 victory.
"The way Thommo went out there and backed himself under pressure today, that's how I dreamt of his match playing out and I didn't think it was probably going to happen," Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt said.
Thompson remains undefeated in the Davis Cup after winning both of his singles rubbers in February's meeting with the Czech Republic at Kooyong.
Saturday's doubles rubber could seal the deal for Australia, with John Peers and Sam Groth due to take on Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson.
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