Kevin Anderson is from the south of the vast continent, and Jaziri from the French-influenced north, where he grew up in a tennis-loving family with a mechanics business, dreaming of one day making it to Roland Garros. Which he did. And now, three days after his 30th birthday, Jaziri will compete in his first grand slam third round. Against 19-year-old Kyrgios at Melbourne Park.

"I come from a small country where we don't have a big culture of tennis, and I'm the only player who play the grand slams and all these tournaments, so it's very great to honour my country and be here in Australia. I'm very happy, I'm very excited for the next match," said Jaziri, who has beaten Mikhail Kukushkin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin en route. "We can not all come from the same situation. Tomorrow is another situation, and I think the pressure is on him."

The crowd will be with Kyrgios, naturally, but Jaziri played Mardy Fish at Flushing Meadows during the American's top 10 days, has lost to Roger Federer, and knows how it goes. He has also played Kyrgios once before - in the final round of qualifying at the 2013 US Open, where he lost to his younger opponent in three sets.

"He has a great serve and a big forehand, so I have to manage how to use my best shots and how to play tactically. He's a big talented player, he's excited to play at home, so it will be a not easy match, but I will be ready, too," says a competitor who also likes to entertain. "I'm [an] offensive player, my best shot is forehand, I mix a lot the game, I play slice, I like to go to the net, and give a good show on the court, so that's the most important thing."

Proud to be a famous face back home in Tunis, where his success has inspired more players, and interest, in the game, Jaziri acknowledges it has taken him a long time to get this far at a major, but he was not a prodigious teen talent, there have been injuries, and few of the advantages Kyrgios has enjoyed as the product of a wealthy tennis nation, with good infrastructure and a rich history, past champions and a bunch of budding future ones.

"But I am living the dream of when I was young, so I'm enjoying all moments of being on court," says a journeyman who has earned less than $1 million in his 11 years on tour, and will take home almost $100,000, at least, for this happy week's work. Still, he insists none of it is about the money, but the moment, and the time still ahead. "I hope 2015 will be the year of Jaziri," he smiles before departing to prepare for show time, against an opponent who knows no other way.

Kyrgios has the flashy game, the profile, the endorsements, the bling. As well as the mohawk and the slashed eyebrows, whatever their message. "I guess it's just youth. You know, you're not going to see Roger or Novak doing things like this. I don't know. Just doing it," says the Wimbledon quarter-finalist, who eliminated 23rd seed Ivo Karlovic to record his best Australian Open result. "I got sort of known for having some lines in my hair at some stage last year. It's my last grand slam as a teenager. I don't think I'll be doing this stuff when I'm 20."

Nor, one suspects, in another decade, will Kyrgios have much in common with a quietly-spoken Tunisian still toiling away, barely covering his expenses, optimistically willing this to be Jaziri's year.