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Kyrgios set to drop out of world top 50 after Brisbane International defeat

Related Story: Kyrgios says he will probably end his season if he wins the Australian Open Related Story: Nick Kyrgios still bound for Brisbane despite spider bite

Australia's Nick Kyrgios is set to crash out of the world's top 50 for the first time in four years after suffering a shock Brisbane International second-round loss.

The eighth seed's Brisbane title defence came to an abrupt end when he fell 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-3 to unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, despite winning the opening set off the back of a supreme service display.

The Australian tyro won all 25 points off his first serve, firing down eight aces in the first set alone, including a 216 kph bomb to seal the first set in the tie-break.

External Link: BrisbaneTennis tweet: Serving rockets

However, Kyrgios lost the next two sets in under an hour as Chardy came from behind to claim victory in the first meeting between the pair.

Kyrgios will miss out on an Australian Open seeding, with his defeat expected to plummet his ranking from 35 to 52 ahead of the season-opening Grand Slam.

The last time Kyrgios was ranked so lowly was in January 2015 at 53.

Kyrgios, 23, appeared to pay the price after his preparation was interrupted by a spider bite that hospitalised him in hometown Canberra over Christmas.

Kyrgios admitted before the tournament started that he would be "rusty" after spending little time on court but few fans would have been prepared for the scrappy display against Chardy.

Even Chardy felt for his good friend and regular hitting partner after the match.

"It was a tough match, Nick is an amazing player.

"I am happy with the win but he is my friend outside the court — it's always to difficult to play against someone you like," Chardy said.

World number 40 Chardy will take on Japanese qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama in the quarter finals, after the 26-year-old world number 180 shocked British number three seed Kyle Edmund, 7-6 (6), 6-4.

Earlier on Pat Rafter Arena, fellow Aussie John Millman was bundled out of the tournament by sixth-seed Gregor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4.

The Bulgarian, who won the Brisbane International title in 2017, will take on second seed Kei Nishikori after he comfortably accounted for American Denis Kudla.

AAP/ABC

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