Australia’s Alexei Popyrin has scored a massive win to reach the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Italy.
Rome, Italy, 12 May 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Alexei Popyrin has impressively kept his unbeaten record against top-10 opponents this season in tact.
The 23-year-old Australian qualifier posted a hard-fought 6-4 4-6 7-5 win against world No.10 Felix Auger-Aliassime in second-round action today at the Italian Open.
Popyrin, who needed three hours and 17 minutes to overcome his Canadian opponent, finished the match with 36 winners.
HUGE WIN! ✅
Popyrin takes out No.10 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in a 3 hour clash 6-4 4-6 7-5!@InteBNLdItalia | #IBI23 pic.twitter.com/tKJF09mNmM
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 12, 2023
It is Popyrin’s fifth career top-10 victory and third this season.
The world No.77 also defeated Auger-Aliassime at Adelaide in January, before overcoming world No.9 Taylor Fritz in a memorable five-set battle at the Australian Open.
He is the only player currently ranked outside the ATP Tour’s top 20 to boast three top-10 wins this season.
This latest victory propels Popyrin into the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament for only the fourth time in his career – and for the first time since the Paris Masters in November 2021.
His third-round opponent will be either No.22-seeded American Sebastian Korda or Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin.
The in-form Popyrin, who has now won nine of his 13 matches on European clay this season, was the sole Australian winner in Rome today.
Jannik Sinner dominated in a 6-1 6-4 victory against Thanasi Kokkinakis, with the eighth-seeded Italian conceding just three points on serve in their 78-minute encounter.
Meanwhile, Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics scored a 6-3 6-4 victory against 17th-seeded Alex de Minaur.
Aussies in action – Rome
RESULTS
Men’s singles, second round
[Q] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) d [10] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 6-4 4-6 7-5
[8] Jannik Sinner (ITA) d [Q] Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-1 6-4
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) d [17] Alex de Minaur (AUS) 6-3 6-4
COMING UP
Men’s singles, second round
Jason Kubler (AUS) v [31] Bernabe Zapata Miralles (ESP)
Men’s singles, third round
[Q] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v TBC
> VIEW: Italian Open men’s singles draw
Men’s doubles, first round
[7] Matt Ebden (AUS)/Rohan Bopanna (IND) v [WC] Federico Arnaboldi (ITA)/Gianmarco Ferrari (ITA)
John Peers (AUS)/Nathaniel Lammons (USA) v [6] Lloyd Glasspool (GBR)/Harri…
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