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Alexei Popyrin has scored the biggest win of his career, beating second-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Adelaide International opening round.
Adelaide, Australia, 2 January 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Alexei Popyrin has stunned world No.6 Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Adelaide International.
The Australian qualifier posted a 6-4 7-6(5) victory against the second-seeded Canadian in first-round action today at The Drive.
World No.120 Popyrin fired 11 aces in the one-hour and 54-minute encounter.
“I’m pretty happy, it’s obviously an unbelievable feeling,” Popyrin said.
“I had a really, really tough season last year and to come out after qualifying and to beat a player of his quality just showed the work I did in the off-season is paying off already.”
Another Adelaide upset!
Popyrin finishes off Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 to score his third career top 10 win.#AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/Y2ZYzdxACZ
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 2, 2023
This improves 23-year-old Popyrin’s career win-loss record against top 10-ranked opponents to 3-9. Both of his previous top-10 wins had come via retirement.
“He’s one of the in-form players that we have on the tour right now, so yeah, if we go by ranking and by
performance, then yeah, it’s probably one of the better wins of my career,” said Popyrin.
The news wasn’t so good today for Aussie hopes Chris O’Connell and Jordan Thompson, with both exiting in the first round.
Jaimee Fourlis was also knocked out in the opening round of the women’s singles competition, with Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk scoring a 6-1 3-6 6-4 win in a two-hour battle.
The Adelaide International, a combined ATP 250 and WTA 500 event, is held at The Drive. It forms part of a two-week Adelaide Festival of Tennis, which concludes on 14 January.
> BUY NOW: Adelaide International tickets
AUSSIES IN ACTION – Adelaide
TODAY’S RESULTS
Men’s singles, first round
[Q] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) d [2] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 6-4 7-6(5)
Quentin Halys (FRA) d [WC] Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-3 6-4
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) d [WC] Chris O’Connell (AUS) 6-4 6-4
Women’s singles, first round
[Q] Marta Kostyuk (UKR) d [WC] Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) 6-1 3-6 6-4
Women’s doubles, first round
Kaitlyn Christian (USA)/Sabrina Santamaria (USA) d [WC] Kimberly Birrell (AUS)/Priscilla Hon (AUS) 6-3 6-4
COMING UP
Men’s singles, first round
[WC] Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) v Maxime Cressy (USA)
[Q] Rinky Hijikata (AUS) v [7] Denis Shapovalov (CAN)
Men’s singles, second round
[Q] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v Marcos Giron (USA)
> VIEW: Full Adelaide International men’s singles draw
Women’s singles, first round
[WC] Priscilla Hon (AUS) v [Q] Claire Liu (USA)
> VIEW: Full Adelaide International women’s singles draw
Men’s doubles, first round
[8] Matt Ebden (AUS)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi(PAK) v Bye
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Mackenzie McDonald (USA)/Marcelo Melo (BRA)
[WC] John Millman (AUS)/Edward Winter (AUS) v Nicolas Barrientos (COL)/Ariel Behar (URU)
[WC] James Duckworth (AUS)/Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v Jannik Sinner (ITA)/Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)
Women’s doubles, second round
[1] Storm Hunter (AUS)/Katerina Siniakova (CZE) v Veronika Kudermetova/Liudmila Samsonova
[3] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v Cristina Bucsa (ESP)/Makoto Ninomiya (JPN)
Book online, play today: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!
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