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Thanasi Kokkinakis has blasted 19 aces to beat South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon in straight sets and claim his first win at the Australian Open in six years.

Tears welled in Thanasi Kokkinakis' eyes as the injury-plagued talent claimed an emotional first win at the Australian Open in six years.

The 24-year-old South Australian produced an irresistible display of power hitting and thundered 19 aces in a dominant 6-4 6-1 6-1 win over South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon.

The result had been a long- time coming for Kokkinakis, who was floored by glandular fever this time last year and has endured a long list of serious injury setbacks throughout his career.

"At 5-0 (in the third set) I felt this massive roar and cheer from the crowd and I started tearing up," Kokkinakis said.

"It was a bit of a soft moment but there was just so much stuff behind the scenes to get back to that point that not a lot of people realise.

"I definitely got a bit emotional.

"I had a lot of friends and family there watching. They probably made up about 90 per cent of the stands, so I'm appreciative of that.

"Just playing with that energy and crowd and being able to win - there was so much work behind the scenes and so much pain - it's just a massive relief."

Kokkinakis blasted 30 winners as he out-gunned and out-manoeuvred Kwon in a match that lasted just 93 minutes.

"My serve was a massive part and I thought I kept my composure very well," Kokkinakis said.

"I stayed level-headed throughout the whole match, so that was a key.

"My body feels really good at the moment so I can't wait to get out there and have another crack."

While his tennis performance was the highlight, Kokkinakis also turned heads with a striking all-black outfit that created a buzz on social media.

"It's a Kmart special. I went to Chadstone, bought some $6 tees and went to work," he said.

"I just felt comfortable in it. I tried to order some more online but they got cancelled and they didn't make it through to South Yarra."

Before Tuesday night, Kokkinakis' most recent win at his home grand slam was in 2015 when he shocked 11th seed Ernests Gulbis in a five-set epic.

He is now ranked 267th, but peaked at No.69 and has the scalp of Roger Federer among a host of top-20 players to his name.

Kokkinakis will meet fifth-seeded Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, who easily beat French veteran Gilles Simon 6-1 6-2 6-1.