Sam Groth in action against James Duckworth last night. Source: AP

Groth beat good friend and Wimbledon village housemate James Duckworth 7-5 6-4 7-6 (8-6) last night to join Bernard Tomic, Nick Kyrgios and Samantha Stosur in the last 32 at the All England Club.

Apart from guaranteeing himself the single biggest payday of his career — a cheque for at least £77,000 ($157,300) — the victory secured Groth something money can’t buy.

The 27-year-old will probably play the great Roger Federer on tennis’s most hallowed court on Saturday with a priceless opportunity to make the second week.

Groth and Duckworth each gained direct entry to this year’s tournament for the first time and neither had made the second round. But the experience couldn’t have been more awkward, with the pair also sharing the same coach — who was unable to watch last night — and a house in London’s SW19 with Groth’s girlfriend.

“It could be a bit tense in the house the next couple of days,” Groth said beforehand. “We travel together, we practise together and we’re good mates, so in one way it’s great there’ll be an Aussie in the third round.”

Great now for Groth, anyway, after the world No 69 hammered down 24 aces in what ultimately proved the difference.

Owner of the world’s fastest recorded serve, a 262.27km/h missile launched in China in 2012, Groth was broken just once throughout the two-hour, seven-minute encounter and always had Duckworth under the pump.

Groth grabbed the only break of the opening set to go ahead 6-5. But he had to fend off seven break points in the 12th game before finally clinching the set with an unreturnable delivery on his third set point.

The Victorian charged to a 4-0 lead in the second set, with Duckworth retrieving one break back before Groth closed it out to take a stranglehold on the match.

Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios has avoided punishment after another ugly exchange with the chair umpire overshadowed his march into Wimbledon’s third round early yesterday.

Kyrgios advanced to the last 32 at the All England Club after his 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Juan Monaco. The impressive straight-sets victory over the 35th-ranked Monaco augurs well for the 20-year-old’s rematch tonight with seventh seed Milos Raonic, the big-serving Canadian who ended the Australian’s stunning run last year in the quarter-finals.

But instead of being celebrated, Kyrgios’s on-court conduct was once again questioned following his first-set spat with umpire Ali Nili. Kyrgios took exception to a linesman reporting him for swearing and took the matter up with Nili. But when Nili didn’t provide the explanation Kyrgios was seeking, the young firebrand began belittling the American.

“But what did he say? Is that a threat? Is that a threat?” Kyrgios said to Nili. “Does it feel good to be in the chair up there? Does it feel strong to be up there?”

After the match, he said: “I just thought he thought he was top dog in the chair, really.”