Local wildcard Alexei Popyrin has claimed an enormous scalp, knocking out world No.9 Taylor Fritz to advance to the Australian Open third spherical for a 3rd time.
Popyrin’s new-found health paid big dividends as he backed up lower than 48 hours after a five-set marathon to supply one other stirring 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 win on Thursday.
The 23-year-old hammered 19 aces and dropped serve solely as soon as in an exhilarating and gruelling four-hour, two-minute check of bodily and psychological will towards the in-form eighth seed.
A hero of Team USA’s season-opening United Cup triumph in Sydney, Fritz damage his proper ankle late within the third set and complained about crowd noise in the course of the fourth because the match slipped away.
Popyrin, in the meantime, rode the vitality of the group at John Cain Arena and served brilliantly to snare his most spectacular win but at Melbourne Park.
The 23-year-old beforehand superior to the final 32 in 2019, when seventh seed Dominic Thiem retired damage, and once more in 2020.
Also a winner on the Indian Wells Masters 1000 final 12 months, Fritz grabbed at his decrease proper leg late within the third set and referred to as a medical timeout after Popyrin received it to storm to a two-sets-to-one lead.
Popyrin regrouped after failing to transform a match level within the fourth-set breaker to interrupt Fritz for a 3rd time, then a fourth, and declare the largest win of his profession.
Popyrin will tackle one other American, world No.89 Ben Shelton, within the third spherical with a golden alternative to succeed in the second week of a grand slam for the primary time.
