Aussie caught in ‘shameful’ act storm at US Open

Aussie Alexei Popyrin was the victim of a “pathetic” act at the US Open and has admitted he “choked” in front of the American crowd.

Alexei Popyrin has admitted he “choked” in his blockbuster battle against American Francis Tiafoe — and the infamously parochial New York crowd — on Monday morning (AEST).

Bidding to make the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the first time in his career, the Aussie eventually lost 4-6 6-7 6-2 3-6 to 20th seed Tiafoe, who rode a wave of US support into the last eight of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.

Popyrin is leaving New York after his best run of form as a professional player, but he will also be carrying the regret of letting a golden opportunity slip through his fingers.

That so-called “choke” came as the American crowd was called out over its “shameful” treatment of the 25-year-old.

It horrified some TV viewers that the local crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium treated Popyrin so brutally, actively celebrating his unforced errors, cheering in between serves and even during his service action.

Popyrin admitted after the match it was “tough” to face Tiafoe in front of such a pumped-up crowd.

The two combatants showed nothing but class towards each other throughout the match and shared a warm hug at the net after match point.

Frances Tiafoe and Alexei Popyrin were all class. Picture: JAMIE SQUIRE / GETTY IMAGES.

TV microphones appeared to catch Popyrin telling Tiafoe to “go and win this thing now” showing his support for his American opponent.

The same class was not seen in some sections of the stadium with fans taking to social media to vent their fury about the treatment Popyrin was given.

“Ashe crowd has been pathetic tonight. Cheering in between serves and clapping for Popyrin’s double faults,” one fan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Another said he looked “rattled” by the crowd’s fierce support for Tiafoe.

“I feel terrible for Popyrin that the crowd keeps cheering his double-faults but man those are brutal for him,” one fan posted.

Another wrote: “I get Tiafoe is the American at the US Open, but the crowd being so solely behind him and basically silent when Popyrin does anything positive is pretty shameful.”

It was obvious it got to Popyrin when he fell apart when serving for the second set.

Frances Tiafoe hugs Alexei Popyrin. Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP.

Up 5-3 and 40-0 with the set seemingly in his keeping, Popyrin folded, wasting three set points and then double faulting when Tiafoe held break point to give his opponent a two-set lead.

The crowd was a big factor in the nerves getting the better of him.

“He’s been playing some unbelievable tennis. I think he’s really a tough customer to play under these conditions in front of a home crowd, a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium,” Popyrin said of Tiafoe.

“He takes it under his belt and he’s an unbelievable player and high in confidence.”

Popyrin exits Flushing Meadows with the best grand slam performance of his career and the scalp of great Novak Djokovic in a showing that has pushed him into the world’s top 25.

That second set will still eat away at him.

Even the American thought his chances were gone, conceding he had been thinking about getting a fresh change of clothes and knuckling down for a long battle, having given the second set away in his mind.

“He was serving 5-3, 40-0, I was pretty sweaty, I was going, ‘I’m going to go and get changed and win this thing in four’,” Tiafoe said in a courtside interview following his win.

“He gave me one (point), I was like, don’t let me get two - and then I was like don’t let me get three and then I was like, I might as well break now.”

Frances Tiafoe got the crowd on its feet. Getty Images via AFP.

Popyrin has conceded he “choked” when serving for the second set in a moment that turned momentum in the match.

While he went on to win the third and send the match to four sets before Tiafoe was able to advance to the final eight, Popyrin had a golden chance to level at one set all but blew three set points and eventually double faulted to allow Tiafoe back into a set he eventually won in a tiebreak.

“Yeah, definitely a lost opportunity,” he said.

“I’ve been saying all week that I think against these top players you have to take your chances when you have them. Obviously 5-3, 40-love up serving, it’s a really big choke from my end.

“I think from then … a momentum swing is bound to happen to his side. I think I did a good job at 5-5 to hold my serve and take it to a tiebreak, but he had momentum in that tiebreak and that’s just the way it went.

“But, yeah, that 5-3 game was an opportunity lost, and I think if it was one set all, considering how the third set went and how I found a way to kind of neutralise his really good play, I think it could have been a little bit different.”

Overall though, Popyrin said he could not be too disappointed.

“If you would have told me at the start of the summer I would have been 23 in the world with a Masters title and second week of a slam for the first time, I probably would have taken it considering the position I was in,” he said.

“If I hadn’t won a match in Montreal or Cincy (Cincinnati Masters), I probably would have dropped to outside 90 in the world. So considering all that, I think it was a very successful summer.”

Tiafoe will go on to face ninth seed Gregor Dimitrov in the quarters after the Bulgarian beat Andrey Rublev (6) in five sets in their round 4 clash.

Originally published as Aussie caught in ‘shameful’ act storm at US Open