MELBOURNE, Australia -- Two sets of composed, calm and clinical tennis from enigmatic Australian Nick Kyrgios against Italian veteran Andreas Seppi seemed to paint a picture of a more mature, focused world No. 13. Perhaps even the player Australia has craved since the decline and retirement of two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt.
After myriad recent disappointments and controversies, Kyrgios appeared to be turning the corner as he thrilled the packed house at Hisense Arena with a dominant display to bank the first two sets against his 89th-ranked, but highly experienced opponent.
No outbursts, no obscenities, no lethargy or head-scratching moments. Just pure power, placement and jaw-dropping athleticism that very few players on tour possess.
Then he cracked, and the Kyrgios of old resurfaced in what can only be described as an utter meltdown.
Missed shots lead to horrible body language. A racket smash to end the third set -- which almost took out an innocent ball kid -- resulted in umpire Carlos Ramos handing down a code violation.
To be fair to his opponent, Seppi had stepped up his own game considerably, taking the third and fourth sets comfortably to set up what would be an enthralling decider.
But despite being first to a match point, it wasn't to be for Kyrgios as Seppi took advantage of his buckling and agitated opponent to sensationally complete a stunning come-from-behind win 1-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 10-8 to again raise questions about the Australian's desire and mental strength.
"It's obviously disappointing and getting booed off is definitely not the best feeling," a dejected Kyrgios explained postmatch. "But I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I thought [Seppi] played great. He served well and I have a lot of respect for him."
The match was Kyrgios' career in a nutshell. There were extreme highs and tear-your-hair-out lows as he displayed both sides of his polarising and emotional game.
There was the early brilliance of power serving, effortless ball striking and a zipped lip, but it quickly turned sour when things weren't going his way.
On a number of occasions in the match he sarcastically shouted, "You would feel fine by Monday." When questioned on the meaning behind the regular outburst, Kyrgios offered a candid assessment.
"I didn't have the best preparation," he said. "I did a lot of things in the off-season [playing basketball] that I'm probably not going to do next time and my body is not in good enough shape.
"I've just got to start taking it more seriously because my preseason is such an important time to build the foundations for the rest of the year. It's all on me."
Earlier in the week 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer proclaimed Kyrgios was "not ready" to win his home Slam -- an opinion which the 21-year-old sensibly refused to comment on.
The Swiss ace wasn't just jibing in his assessment of Australia's No. 1. He had read him all too well.
Kyrgios is no stranger to playing the villain. In fact it seems just about every time he takes to the court he is embroiled in some reputation-scarring controversy.
There was the infamous almost-disqualification at the 2014 U.S Open -- a tournament where Kyrgios was first taken notice of after earlier upsetting Rafael Nadal in the fourth round. And who could forget the incongruous sledge directed at Stan Wawrinka during the 2015 Rogers Cup.
More recently, he was found guilty of tanking at the 2016 Shanghai Masters, resulting in a US $25,000 fine and an eight-week suspension, which was later being reduced to three after he agreed to see a sports psychologist -- something Kyrgios admits has been a tremendous help.
This performance from Kyrgios was a stark reminder that mentally he is still a work in progress. A loose cannon that needs to learn how to control his emotions and raging temper.
Make no mistake about it: He has all of the tools to become a Grand Slam champion. The question is: Does he want to be?