Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis have bowed out of the Australian Open in the first round of the men’s doubles, leaving a partisan Melbourne crowd disappointed after a late-night, three-set defeat.

The “Special Ks” were delayed until after 9pm before taking the court on Kia Arena, more than five hours later than scheduled following a programming mix-up that left many fans queuing before watching Stan Wawrinka’s five-set victory earlier in the evening.

Hampered by ongoing injury concerns, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis showed flashes of their trademark chemistry, recovering from the loss of the opening set to claim the second. However, fellow Australians Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans proved too strong in a tense match tie-break, securing a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-4) victory.

A controversial moment came early in the deciding tie-break when Kokkinakis appeared to level the score at 2-2 with a forehand volley, only for Kubler’s challenge to reveal he had crossed the net before making contact, resulting in the point being overturned.

Despite the overwhelmingly one-sided crowd support and Kyrgios’ frequent exchanges with spectators, Kubler and Polmans remained composed to close out the match on the 5,000-seat Kia Arena. The larger John Cain Arena, a venue favoured by Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, remained unused after the conclusion of Taylor Fritz’s match earlier in the night.

Kokkinakis produced one of the highlights of the contest with a superb backhand passing shot to save a break point in the second set, while Kyrgios received a code violation for audible obscenity during the match.

The pair held an early break in the deciding set before Kokkinakis called a medical timeout for treatment on his shoulder, which appeared to worsen during his service games. Kyrgios, meanwhile, played with his left knee heavily strapped and showed signs of discomfort between points after physical struggles in his recent Kooyong exhibition appearance.

As the duo once again entertained fans in Melbourne, former Australian star Jelena Dokic suggested the pair consider focusing on doubles as persistent injuries continue to disrupt their singles careers.

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis had won their first competitive match together in 1,162 days earlier this month at the Brisbane International.