The $US10,000 slap is latest in several big-money fines this season for the Australian came, ironically, on Thursday after he’d been on his best behaviour in one of his finest Wimbledon performances to knock out No.28 seed Filip Krajinovic and roar into the third round.

Kyrgios, though, may have been leniently treated compared to the heavy fines he received in the US earlier in the year for meltdowns in both Indian Wells and Miami.

After an investigation, tournament officials imposed the punishment following Kyrgios’s admission that he had spat towards a spectator and called a line judge a “snitch” during an explosive win over Briton Paul Jubb.

Kyrgios had pleaded mitigating circumstances, telling the chair umpire that he’d ignored his pleas for an abusive spectator to be ejected.

The fine, despite being at least twice as severe as any other handed out to players over misdemeanours early at this year’s Wimbledon, didn’t compare with those on the US swing when his behaviour at the two big ATP tournaments cost him $US60,000 ($A87,000).

Earlier on Thursday, Kyrgios had been perfectly behaved and perfectly brilliant – but evidently still felt the need to find someone to berate after morphing from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Kyrgios evidently felt this was a day when the sheer breathtaking brilliance of his tennis had quite muzzled his critics.

“I just wanted to prove to people that, like, I’m really good. I feel like I just don’t have the respect sometimes,” said this most complex of characters when he came to his press conference clearly armed with indignation at recent headlines.

“It was just kind of a reminder to put you all back in your place.”

Meanwhile, Aussie Alex De Minaur had to pull out all stops to avoid falling two sets behind before surging to an electrifying 5-7 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 6-3 comeback win overnight.

Rain caused the second-round match to be stopped for almost an hour while the roof was closed on show court No.1 and the delay threatened to leave de Minaur hanging for the night.

But after snatching the second set in a tiebreaker, the Australian No.1 found top gear and accelerated to the finish line to ensure he wasn’t asked to return on Friday to see out the match.

It’s strictly lights out at 11pm in London’s borough of Merton, with not even Wimbledon able to keep local residents awake.

Australia’s 19th seed has now set up a third-round meeting on Saturday with another Brit, inspired wildcard Liam Broady.

Broady earlier upset 12th-seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-2 4-6 0-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 section of the draw wide open.

De Minaur or the 132nd-ranked Broady will play either unseeded Chilean Cristian Garin or American world No.34 Jenson Brooksby for a place in the quarter-finals.

Fellow Sydneysider Jordan Thomspon didn’t fare as well in his second-round match-up with No.4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, losing in straight sets 6-2 6-3 7-5.

Australian qualifier Jason Kubler faces a restless night after being left stranded one game shy of a coveted place in the Wimbledon third round.

A late-afternoon downpour forced the suspension of play for the day with Kubler leading fellow qualifier Dennis Novak 6-3 6-4 5-4 on court 16 on Thursday.

In the women’s draw, Australian tennis’s new women’s No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic is taking her newfound responsibility in her stride as she eyes another deep run at Wimbledon.

Tomljanovic surged into the third round with a 6-2 6-2 dispatch of American qualifier Catherine Harrison, showing no signs of caving in to the pressure of filling the impossible shoes of retired reigning champion Ash Barty.

The 29-year-old had too much firepower for Harrison, seeing off the Wimbledon debutant in one hour, 26 minutes on Thursday.

 – AAP