WATCH: Dan Evans upsets home favourite Bernard Tomic to reach Australian Open last 16

An emotional Evans could barely hold back the tears when the final point was won.

WATCH: Dan Evans upsets home favourite Bernard Tomic to reach Australian Open last 16

Australian Open giant-killer Dan Evans caused another shock by beating world number 27 Bernard Tomic to reach the last 16.

Evans toppled seventh seed Marin Cilic on Wednesday and can now add Tomic to his growing list of scalps after beating the local favourite 7-5 7-6 (7/2) 7-6 (7/3).

The British number three has also reached his first-ever fourth round at a grand slam and he will now face France's 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the quarter-finals.

An emotional Evans could barely hold back the tears when the final point was won, looking up to the sky before punching the air with relief.

The contest was not without controversy, particularly when a cramping Evans prompted a 10-minute delay in play at the end of the third set due to spitting rain.

The 26-year-old, however, overcame his physical discomfort as well as a hostile Australian crowd to ensure his remarkable run in Melbourne continued.

"I should say thank you to the crowd," Evans said on court afterwards.

"It was a great atmosphere and made the match much better, but it was tough. Bernie was difficult, he's unorthodox, he plays aggressively and sometimes slows it down. I'm happy to come through, they were three tight sets."

On the rain delay, Evans said: "I was just focusing on the end goal all the time. It was a little annoying but I thought we both handled it pretty well. It didn't detract from the match, so it was good."

Evans, ranked 51st in the world, has had to buy his own clothes, including £13 white t-shirts, for the first major tournament of the year after losing a kit deal with Nike in December.

"I'm happy with these shirts at the minute," he said. "One shrunk in the wash a bit so I had to change it, but I think they look alright."

Evans held his nerve in a topsy-turvy opening set which included five breaks of serve but was settled when the Briton pulled ahead at 5-5, before serving out to love.

The momentum was firmly with the Briton, who looked in complete control until serving for the second set at 5-4.

Evans demanded the ejection of a spectator, who he believed was deliberately coughing as he served, and when French umpire Emmanuel Joseph refused he said: "You're a f****** embarrassment."

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The crowd were riled and an inspired Tomic saved two set points, the second with a driving backhand pass, before breaking and holding to lead 6-5.

Evans was under pressure but dug deep to level, rescuing two set points after ushering a Tomic forehand out.

Into the tie-break and Evans defied both the crowd and his resurgent opponent by storming 6-1 clear as two cool forehand volleys found their mark. Tomic netted a forehand and, against the odds, Evans was two sets to the good.

The drama was not over yet. Evans faced three break points at 4-4 but saved them all, only for his right leg to start twitching with cramp. He had enough to hold but Tomic came again at 5-5.

Under pressure at deuce and with only a second serve to come, Evans chose to direct the umpire's attention to the evening drizzle, claiming the court was wet.

Play was stopped, much to the crowd's dismay, and Evans took the chance to jog off to the toilet, accompanied by a smattering of boos.

When play resumed almost 10 minutes later and after the court had been wiped down with towels, Evans held, although not without ending one exchange with a hop that suggested his cramp still lingered.

The tie-break came and it felt like Evans had to win it. He whipped one cross-court forehand for a clean winner and then a punching volley gave him a 5-3 lead.

Tomic had two chances to pass but failed to capitalise and Evans had three match points. When the Australian missed a final forehand, Evans' triumph was confirmed after two hours and 48 minutes.

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