Australian Open Day 3: Alex de Minaur advances, Alexei Popyrin and Andrey Rublev knocked out
One of the all-time upsets has occurred at Melbourne Park thanks to an 18-year old from Brazil, but Alexei Popyrin won’t be as pleased with his performance.
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca pulled off one of the great tennis upsets to cap an extraordinary Tuesday at the Australian Open.
Playing in his first Grand Slam event as a senior, the 18-year-old upset Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 6-3 7-6.
The only player in the world to beat Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz last year, Rublev was an unbackable favourite to win the match.
RECAP ALL THE ACTION FROM DAY 3 BELOW
He had made the quarter-finals at three of the last four Australian Opens but Opens has struggled in recent times with his mental health.
Last year, he revealed he had started taking anti-depression tablets before 2005 Australian Open champion Marat Safin told him to quit the medication and see a psychologist instead.
In a much better headspace, he was unable to counter Fonseca, one of the bright up and comers in the game. He won the 2023 Australian junior open and was ranked the best junior in the world before moving into the senior ranks.
However, Alexei Popyrin’s Australian Open ended in despair after suffering a left glute injury in a first-round four-set loss to Corentin Moutet.
Popyrin, 25, won the first set but hurt his glute in a desperate lunge to the net early in the second set and, separately, also battled cramp in his hamstring.
It was a devastating blow for Popyrin who entered his home Grand Slam coming off the best six months of his career including a shock US Open win over Novak Djokovic last year.
But the Sydney-sider didn’t lose any admirers as he produced one of the most courageous performances of his career to stretch the Frenchman across almost four hours.
It appeared Popyrin may have to withdraw from the match in the second set after seeking a medical time out for treatment on his left glute.
But, wincing in pain, Popyrin fought on valiantly and mounted brief comebacks in the third and fourth sets, breaking the Frenchman’s serve in each to light up John Cain Arena.
It was a gutsy effort from Popyrin who was clearly severely restricted for run and power and shouted his frustrations about his injuries towards his coach’s box.
But amid debate about the future of Nick Kyrgios, Popyrin gave everything amid rising on-court tension between him and Moutet who triumphed 4-6 6-3 6-4-6-4 in the upset win.
Popyrin lifted up off the canvas in the third set to break the fiery Frenchman in the eighth game and then hold his serve to love to fight back from 1-5 to 4-5.
But Moutet quickly clinched the third set on his next service game and did a dancing spin for the crowd in celebration, drawing jeers from the Australian fans.
There was also disappointment in Moutet’s tactics earlier as the 25-year-old attempted an underarm serve against his injured opponent.
Popyrin also complained to the chair umpire about Moutet’s grunting without success.
The Sydney-sider showed heart trying to fight through the injuries and even secured a break back opportunity late in the fourth down 4-5 when the result looked inevitable.
But in the end his visible limp left him with little chance against Moutet despite his huge efforts.
Popyrin’s exit marked the second major injury blow for the Australian men following Kyrgios’ first-round loss amid an abdominal issue and a two-year wrist injury.
Originally published as Australian Open Day 3: Alex de Minaur advances, Alexei Popyrin and Andrey Rublev knocked out