‘We all expected Demon to be in the fourth round’: Popyrin charges into last 16 at Roland-Garros

Alexei Popyrin’s moment has arrived.

A shock early exit from Alex de Minaur has coincided with Popyrin’s career-best run to the fourth round at Roland-Garros after arriving in Paris with a perplexing six-match losing streak at the claycourt major, where he was the junior champion in 2017.

Alexei Popyrin has not dropped a set in making the last 16 at Roland-Garros.Credit: Getty Images

Australia’s No.25 seed, who is on the verge of making his top-20 debut, is yet to drop a set, producing another mature and resilient performance to down Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-4, 7-6 (13-11), 7-6 (7-5) across three hours.

Up next for Popyrin is a match-up between Roland-Garros boys’ singles winners against American 12th seed Tommy Paul, who outlasted 24th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov and some late cramping to secure a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 6-3 victory.

The winner of that clash will highly likely book a quarter-final with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Popyrin has enjoyed the best two years of his career – highlighted by his Masters 1000 title in Montreal last August and beating Novak Djokovic to reach the last 16 at the US Open – at a time de Minaur surged inside the world’s top 10 and established himself as the country’s Davis Cup spearhead.

He served as the Robin to de Minaur’s Batman in Davis Cup duty at times, although team captain and former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt has often preferred Thanasi Kokkinakis in that role.

De Minaur’s loss and an injured Kokkinakis instead commentating for Nine from Melbourne means the spotlight is all on Popyrin as the last Australian man standing – and he is playing the best tennis of his life.

“We all expected Demon to be in the fourth round,” admitted Popyrin, when asked if he’d have thought at the start of the week he’d be the final men’s survivor.

“I don’t think I could have thought that – Alex is probably the most consistent player on tour – but that’s the case now. I’m only focusing on myself. I want to keep going as far as I can, that’s all I’m thinking.

“It was a really good match from my point. Happy I wrapped it up in three sets. It’s really hot out there, really difficult conditions.

“I played the first set-and-a-half really, really solid, how I’ve been playing all week, but had a bit of a mental slip-up at the end of the second but managed to dig deep in the tie-break.

“The third set was more a mental battle than a physical battle on my side trying to hold serve, and then trying to get opportunities on his return, which I had towards the end. But still managed to kind of keep my head and still play well in the tie-break.”

Dressed in fluorescent pink hat, shorts and shoes, and with a racquet to match, Borges eliminated wounded dual finalist Casper Ruud in four sets in the previous round. He also advanced to the fourth round at the Australian Open and US Open last year, so is a serious player.

Borges already made tennis history this fortnight with countryman and qualifier Henrique Rocha when they became the first two Portuguese players to reach the round of 32 at the same grand slam.

But this day belonged to Popyrin, even as Borges launched rearguard action late in the second set to twice break back when the Australian tried to serve for a two-set lead.

Popyrin had played an almost spotless match until he dropped serve on the first of those occasions, but then had to dig deep as Borges took fresh aim at his weaker backhand wing, which has been under construction from his new co-coach Wayne Ferreira.

Popyrin’s other coach, Neville Godwin, who shared the job with Xavier Malisse until March when Malisse chose to part ways with Popyrin, was front and centre on Friday for one of the Australian’s most significant wins.

It took 77 minutes and until Popyrin’s sixth set point – after saving two that Borges held – on the 24th point of an engrossing and rollercoaster tie-breaker for him to finally earn that two-set advantage.

Nuno Borges had chances against Popyrin, but was unable to win a set.Credit: Getty Images

The tie-breaker result loomed large in the bigger picture of the match, but de Minaur’s slip-up from the same lead a day earlier, and Borges’ increasing ability to create opportunities in Popyrin’s service games, meant there was still work to do.

With de Minaur’s mother Esther among those urging him on from courtside, Popyrin fended off a break point in each of his second and third service games in the third set as Borges tried to make his move.

Popyrin did not lose a point on his first serve until midway through the second set, but his percentage plummeted under heightened pressure, which made him have to work harder for holds. However, this version of Popyrin is up for the battle.

The next key moments came in the 10th game of the set, when Borges twice faltered to hand Popyrin separate match points – but both went begging without serious threat.

In a seesawing war of attrition, Popyrin offered a break point of his own in the next game, but sent down three consecutive aces to escape.

They required another tie-breaker to split them, but this time Popyrin raced 6-2 ahead then frittered away three further match points before one last searing serve sealed his passage to the last 16.

With AAP

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