Rowdy fan ejected as Nick Kyrgios breaks grand slam duck with Thanasi Kokkinakis in Australian Open doubles

Nick Kyrgios boasted that “We've created probably the best atmosphere this tournament has ever seen” after he and Thanasi Kokkinakis had lifted the men’s doubles trophy at the Australian Open.

First Ashleigh Barty, then Kyrgios: Melbourne’s tennis fans enjoyed a dream evening on Rod Laver Arena, with more than 10,000 staying until midnight to see the last knockings of a famous session.

Kyrgios may be a polarising figure Down Under – and everywhere else, for that matter – but he and his partner Kokkinakis enjoyed the lion’s share of support in their final, which pitted them against fellow Aussies Matt Ebden and Max Purcell.

It was a wonderful spectacle, full of reflex volleys, tweeners and incredible hand skills, although some of the drunker fans in the arena did their best to spoil the fun.

Umpire Damien Dumusois kept asking spectators to stop shouting out before the serves, pointing out that a “a few people are ruining the game”. A couple of games before the end, Kyrgios called for one offender to be ejected – and the security guards obliged, to widespread cheers.

After the match, Kyrgios said that this doubles run had been the best experience of his career. “I feel like a completely different person,” he told reporters. “Just happy. On off days I was waking up at 7.30am, coming here hitting at 8.30am, ice bath.

“In the past, I haven't had that many good people around me,” Kyrgios added. “Taken advantage of me. [This time I did] everything I could to play and play well, and look what happened. This is a memory that we are never going to forget. We are going to grow old, and we're always going to say ‘Remember that time we rolled off the couch and just won Oz Open?’”

The so-called “Special Ks” have certainly delivered packed stadia and high TV ratings this fortnight – even if Barty’s singles matches drew more home viewers.

Tournament organisers would surely love to see these two brash young Aussies on the doubles circuit all year. But while they sounded keen to reunite for November’s ATP Finals – an event that you qualify for by winning a slam – Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have no plans to make this a regular partnership.

“All I'm saying is the ATP are pumped if we're there, bro,” said Kyrgios of the Finals, which are staged in Turin. “I'm not playing the French [Open], and I'm not playing Wimby doubles. Maybe just US [Open] and then Finals.”

To return to the issue of boisterous crowds, all the shouts from the stands have caused excitement and irritation in equal measure this week. Rod Laver Arena was less partisan on Saturday than it had been during previous K-dramas, thanks to the convenient fact that the opposition were also Australian. But Purcell still sounded conflicted afterwards.

“It seemed like the naughtiest crowd I've ever played in front of,” he said. “Even Thanasi and Nick were getting a little angry at them, and with someone getting thrown out.

“Obviously there's a line you don't want to cross,” Purcell added. “I think it was great for ticket sales here but I'm not so sure how it was taken overseas. If you're watching some of Nick and Thanasi's matches earlier in the week and you're overseas, maybe you get turned off tennis a little bit.”

While Kyrgios played some fine shots, it was Kokkinakis who stood out as the best player on the court, returning brilliantly and then striking his groundstrokes with real venom.

During his speech at the presentation ceremony, Kyrgios pointed at Kokkinakis and said “I know this big boy is going to be out tonight. So, ladies, let's go!" He then backed away from the microphone in a fit of giggles, admitting “I’ve got to stop. I crossed the line.”