Fish, seeded eighth, had to battle back just to force a tie break in the third set but lost it 8-6 to fall at the second hurdle for the second year in a row at Melbourne Park.

Lefthander Falla summoned up a brilliant lob after a 30-stroke rally to take a 5-4 lead in the deciding tiebreak and survived some late nerves to claim victory when Fish blasted a forehand wide.

The 28-year-old world number 71's prize for the upset is a third round meeting with Germany's Phillip Kohlschreiber.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; editing by Patrick Johnston)