An emotion-charged Alexei Popyrin has set his sights on going “all the way” after claiming a massive scalp, knocking out world No.9 Taylor Fritz to advance to the Australian Open third round for a third time.
Popyrin’s new-found fitness paid huge dividends as he backed up less than 48 hours after a five-set marathon to produce another stirring 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 win on Thursday.
The 23-year-old wildcard hammered 19 aces and dropped serve only once in a thrilling and gruelling four-hour, two-minute test of physical and mental will against the in-form eighth seed.
Popyrin, who slipped to 113 in the rankings following a difficult 2022 season, upset world No.6 Felix Auger-Aliassime on his way to the Adelaide International quarter-finals this month. He joined in local fans’ chants of “Poppy! Poppy!” as tears flowed after his latest shock.
Alexei Popyrin. (Photo by Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images)
“This win means so much to me,” Popyrin said. “I had the toughest year last year. I didn’t win many matches. I’ve won as many matches this year as I won last year and it’s only January.”
Popyrin said his strong pre-season preparation had given him belief and the physical capability to stay the course throughout his opening two matches.
“I put my head down and worked as hard as I possibly could,” he said. “I don’t want that feeling that I had last year ever again.
“That I wrote down to myself in my head and I’m going to keep working, keep pushing and I’m going to try and keep going all the way, man. I love this feeling and I want more of this feeling.”
Fritz hurt his right ankle late in the third set and complained about crowd noise during the fourth. Popyrin previously advanced to the last 32 in 2019, when seventh seed Dominic Thiem retired hurt, and again in 2020.
Fritz called a medical timeout after Popyrin won the third set to storm to a two-sets-to-one lead. Popyrin regrouped after failing to convert a match point in the fourth-set tiebreaker to break Fritz for a third time, then a fourth, and claim the biggest win of his career.
Popyrin will take on another American, world No.89 Ben Shelton, in the third round with a golden opportunity to reach the second week of a grand slam for the first time.
Samantha Stosur’s decorated doubles career is almost over following a first-round exit from the Australian Open with Frenchwoman Alize Cornet.
The retiring great and Cornet lost 6-3 6-4 to the Chinese-Taiwanese pairing of Zhaoxuan Yang and Hao-Ching Chan on Thursday.
Stosur, who is quitting professional tennis after the Open, remains alive in the mixed doubles with fellow Australian Matt Ebden.
But the 38-year-old won’t be adding a fifth grand slam women’s crown to her collection after making the call to walk away from the touring life to spend more time with her family and two-year-old daughter Evie.
“I still love competing. I love playing in front of you guys,” Stosur told fans on Kia Arena.
“A crowd like this makes it feel strange that you don’t want to do it anymore but you get to a point where the other things become a little more difficult and I have loved my run, travelling, playing, doing everything I’ve been able to do.
“I wanted to finish here at home. I wanted to finish in Melbourne. And this year was it. So, yeah, it’s bittersweet, but thank you all for coming out here. It’s been really special.”
Stosur won the Australian Open women’s doubles in 2019 with Zhang Shaui, as well as the mixed title at Melbourne Park way back in 2005 with countryman Scott Draper.
The 2011 US Open singles champion also claimed grand slam women’s doubles titles at the 2006 French Open and at Flushing Meadows in 2005 and 2021 and spent 61 weeks atop the doubles rankings during her career.
Novak Djokovic has slammed Australian Open broadcaster Eurosport over a claim the nine-time tournament champion took an illegal toilet break during his first-round win on Tuesday night.
Midway through his 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 win over Roberto Carballes Baena, Djokovic suddenly departed Rod Laver Arena, despite not having a break to use.
Commentators and former Australian tennis greats John Fitzgerald and Mark Woodforde suggested on air he might have ‘pulled rank’, and that lesser players wouldn’t be permitted to do so.
I think he’s actually just pulled rank there as well. I think the official was trying to pull him back,” Woodforde said on Nine.
However, after international broadcaster Eurosport published a Tweet of the incident, Djokovic took to Instagram to give his side of the story – and blast the network for their reporting.
“Eurosport please get your informations [sic] checked before you post something judgmental and wrong,” Djokovic wrote on his story.
“Chair umpire allowed me to go to toilet but she told me I don’t have toilet break, just change over break. So she told me (you didn’t capture that with camera) I had to hurry up.
“When I almost exited the court she called me (I didn’t hear) and it was to tell me that toilet was on the opposite side of the court.
“I found one where I went also, and I had to be quick because of the time. I didn’t “defy” her or the rules. She gave me permission and told me to be quick.
“Next time be mindful with what you post. You have responsibility towards many sport fans that follow your page @eurosport.”
Aryna Sabalenka has continued her flawless start to the summer to roar into the Australian Open third round at Melbourne Park.
The world No.5 preserved her record of not dropping a set in six matches this year with a 6-3 6-1 trouncing of dangerous American Shelby Rogers.
The big-hitting Rogers, a former grand slam conqueror of Ash Barty, threatened a boilover early when she raced to a 3-1 lead on Rod Laver Arena.
But Sabalenka reeled off five straight games to snatch the second set before running away with the matches in one hour, 27 minutes on Thursday.
Significantly, as well as showcasing the firepower that helped the Belarusian to last year’s season-ending championship final in Texas and to this month’s Adelaide International title, there were no signs of the serving yips that have undermined Sabalenka’s progress on the big stages.
Sabalenka said two tight wins over Rogers last season steeled her focus for Thursday’s latest encounter with the world No.51.
“She’s such a great player. She always play really fast and she put me under pressure,” Sabalenka said. “Today I expected a great level from here. That’s why I stayed focused ’til the end. That’s why I was probably able to win this in two sets. But always tough matches against her.”
The Open title chaser will play either Belgian 26th seed Elise Mertens or Hobart International winner Lauren Davis next on Saturday.
Precocious Canadian talent Felix Auger-Aliassime looks perfectly placed to make a run deep into the Australian Open, coming back from two sets down against Alex Molcan to book his spot in the third round.
The top half of the draw was blown wide open on Wednesday following Rafael Nadal’s dramatic loss to American journeyman Mackenzie McDonald after the 22-time major winner suffered a hip injury.
Sixth-seeded Auger-Aliassime is among the contenders in best position to take advantage of Nadal’s shock exit, along with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner.
But the Canadian had to do it the hard way against Molcan, dropping the first two sets before lifting to win 15 of the last 19 games in a 3-6 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 triumph against the increasingly-frustrated Slovakian.
“When I won the third set I got a lot more self-belief,” said Auger-Aliassime. “I’m very pleased to get it done. It was a tough day for me.”
Auger-Aliassime will next play No.28 seed Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina, who beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 3-6 6-4 6-2 7-5.
Italian Sinner enjoyed a much more comfortable path into the third round, needing just one hour, 44 minutes to see off the challenge of Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3 6-2 6-2.
The 15th seed has made a flying start to the opening grand slam of the year, dropping just 13 games in total in his two wins over Britain’s Kyle Edmund and Etcheverry.
“I’m very happy to be in the next round,” said the 21-year-old Sinner, who is co-coached by Australian Darren Cahill. “I’m very happy to play again on this court with the roof, especially as it’s raining outside. I served well and also returned well today.”
Sinner will play Marton Fucsovics from Hungary in the round of 32.
Greece’s No.3 seed Tsitsipas and No.16 seed Francis Tiafoe, from the United States, also advanced in comprehensive fashion.
Tsitsipas breezed past local fan favourite Rinky Hijikata 6-3 6-0 6-2, while Tiafoe crushed Chinese qualifier Shang Jungcheng 6-4 6-4 6-1.
Tsitsipas will face Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor in the third round, with Tiafoe set to take on 18th seed Karen Khachanov.
No.7 seed Medvedev accounted for Australian veteran John Millman 7-5 6-2 6-2 to set up a meeting with 29th seed Sebastian Korda, who beat Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-2 7-5 6-4.
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