Home-crowd favorite Alexei Popyrin notched his third career win over a Top 10 player by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Monday in the first round of the Adelaide International 1 in Adelaide, Australia.
Popyrin, a qualifier, won 78 percent of rhw points on his first serve, thanks in part to his 11 aces. This was the first match of the season for Auger-Aliassime, the No. 2 seed in Adelaide and the No. 6-ranked player in the world, who squandered a 4-1 lead in the second set.
In the second round, Popyrin will face American Marcos Giron, who ousted France’s Richard Gasquet in a hard-fought 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 7-5 match that lasted three hours.
Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka also pulled off an upset, beating No. 5 seed Holger Rune of Denmark 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Up next for Nishioka is American Mackenzie McDonald, who advanced when Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia retired with an abdominal injury after losing the first set 6-3.
Also advancing to the second round were Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, Great Britain’s Jack Draper, Quentin Halys of France, Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis and Russian Roman Safiullin.
Tata Open Maharashtra
No. 6 seed Filip Krajinovic of Serbia survived the upset bug, defeating home-country favorite Sumit Nagal to become the sole seeded player in action to advance in Pune, India.
Krajinovic needed three sets to take the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win at the ATP 250 event, but No. 5 seed Alex Molcan and No. 7 seed Jaume Munar didn’t have the same good fortune.
Laslo Djere of Serbia used 12 aces to oust Molcan, a Slovakian, 6-2, 6-4, while Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands toppled Spain’s Munar 6-4, 7-5. Awaiting Griekspoor in the second round is Italian Marco Cecchinato, who defeated five-time ATP titlist Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-2, 6-2.
Benjamin Bonzi of France, Michael Mmoh of the United States and Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena also advanced.
–Field Level Media