Tennis Australia will launch an investigation into a wild fight that blew up prior to Nick Kyrgios' third-round showdown against Russian Karen Khachenov.

Footage which emerged on Twitter during the pair's match shows a group of males tussling in the crowd, with two throwing a flurry of punches as bystanders rushed to escape the violent outbreak.

Watch the incident below

A witness told the Herald Sun said he could hear screaming from across the court as people attemtped to seperate the two men throwing punches.

As a result of the incident the two men were reportedly immediately removed from the unserved section of Melbourne Arena.

The rowdy crowds at this year's Australian Open have been a hot topic since the tournament started on Monday.

Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas took a swipe at his loyal fans after his first-round win over Salvatore Caruso, suggesting they "crossed the line" at stages during the match.

While home crowd favourite John Millman praised the support of passionate Australian fans, saying the "more rowdy they are, the drunker they are, the better."

More to come