Alexei Popyrin unable to rattle Daniil Medvedev

Alexei Popyrin’s promising debut at Wimbledon has come to an end at the hands of talented and tough Daniil Medvedev.

Alexei Popyrin of Australia plays a forehand in his Men's Singles second round match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia. Picture: Getty

Alexei Popyrin’s promising debut at Wimbledon has come to an end at the hands of talented and tough Russian Daniil Medvedev.

The Australian teenager started well against the 11th seed but was unable to sustain the standard when beaten 6-7 (7) 6-1 6-4 6-4 in 2 hours and 31 minutes.

But similarly to the Australian and French Opens, the 19-year-old showed significant promise and demonstrated why he is considered a rising star of the tour.

While Medvedev ultimately proved too strong, with the Sydneysider unable to rattle the Russian when returning, there was much to like about his performance.

The 2017 French Open boys champion again showed his propensity for tiebreakers with a classy finale to the first set and then continued to fight despite Medvedev gaining the upper hand as the match progressed.

And Popyrin, who won through qualifying and then defeated former top ten ranked Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, possesses an all-court game to accompany a strong serve that should improve further as he matures.

Popyrin has won at least a round in all three majors played this season and, courtesy of breaking into the top 100 last week, has already ensured he will feature at the US Open in September.

Based on current estimates, he departs Wimbledon with a career-high ranking of 89 and will now prepare for the North American hardcourt swing.

The first set tie-breaker provided a perfect illustration of the talent that makes Popyrin a player to watch in the future.

He delivered strong, precise serves. His agility is outstanding for his height, which allows him to defend well. He is powerful from the baseline but also impressive at the net.

And more often than not he chooses the right moment in a point to launch a net approach, which will often allow for an easier volley.

A positive aspect of Popyrin’s game is that he is not deterred from coming forward.

Popyrin saved a set point a big serve that set up a forehand winner and two points later claimed the set when putting away a backhand volley.

The 19-year-old lost concentration at the start of the second set, dropping his opening service game after leading 30-0.

He thumped his shoe with his racquet in frustration at easing off against the Russian, who proceeded to romp away with the set in just 22 minutes while gaining a clear hold on the match.

Popyrin was under pressure in the opening game of the third set but was able to stave off a break point when serving-and-volleying successfully.

The teenager was under significant pressure on serve at 1-all but managed to save three break points.

His defensive capabilities on the third, in particular, were remarkable.

The right-hander scrambled from side-to-side and was seemingly out of the point on several occasions before landing a crosscourt forehand winner.

Ultimately, the pressure applied to Popyrin on serve by Medvedev took its toll, with the Russian seizing the critical break in the set for a 4-3 lead.

A Davis Cup debutante in February, Popyrin remained determined and was able to find an easier path to holding serve in the initial stages of the fourth set.

Unfortunately, he was unable to make any inroads on the serve of a rival who reached the semi-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships leading into Wimbledon.

And it was again the seventh game of the set where Medvedev made his move, bringing up two break points with a blistering return that drew a volley error from Popyrin.

When the Sydneysider netted a backhand on the following point, a promising debut at Wimbledon was nearing an end.

A half-chance to retrieve the break went begging when, while serving for the match, Medvedev landed a reflex volley while trailing 0-30 en route to moving into the third round.