Popyrin Pumped for Tough Tiafoe and Extending Lleyton Hyperlink

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, August 31, 2024Photo credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty for ITF Davis Cup

NEW YORK—As soon as known as out as a ghost author, Alexei Popyrin continues plotting essentially the most profitable summer season of his life.

Tomorrow, someday follow companions Popyrin and Frances Tiafoe will face off for the primary time with a visit to the US Open quarterfinals on the road.

Extra: Depleted Djokovic on What Went Unsuitable

Popyrin performed dynamic tennis dethroning defending champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in a shocking US Open upset to advance to his maiden main fourth spherical.

Montreal champion Popyrin, who has gained eight of his final 9 matches, will fulfill a quest enjoying Tiafoe, who has generally jokingly accused the lanky Aussie of ghosting him throughout match play.

“Actually, enjoying Frances will likely be fairly an expertise as a result of there was a couple of instances the place I’ve type of misplaced the spherical earlier than having to play Frances, and he is at all times telling me, Man, why do you retain shedding earlier than we play one another?” Popyrin stated. “Yeah, fortunately this time I used to be in a position to do it and hopefully it is going to be an excellent match.”

The lanky Popyrin leads the match with 20 service breaks in three wins and is aware of he will likely be examined by Tiafoe’s selection.

“[Frances is] really a very good good friend of mine. We get alongside very well off the courtroom,” Popyrin stated. “It will likely be fascinating to play towards him. We have now practiced a bunch of instances.

“Yeah, he is a really difficult participant. In all probability has the most effective palms on tour, comes into the online lots, likes to combine it up. That is going to be the powerful half.

“I am simply going to need to type of, you already know, play my sport, serve properly. Right this moment I felt like I did not actually serve that properly, contemplating, you already know, the odds and stuff. For me, I’ve received to have to enhance on that.”

In his gorgeous upset of Djokovic, Popyrin exploited 14 double faults breaking the Serbian celebrity 5 instances. Popyrin handed Djokovic his first US Open third-round exit since 2006 when former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt defeated him in New York.

Corridor of Famer Hewitt, Popyrin’s Aussie Davis Cup captain, sat in his assist field on Friday evening close to coach Xavier Malisse.

Defeating Andrey Rublev to win his maiden Masters 1000 championship in Montreal this month, Popyrin turned the primary Aussie man to win a 1000 title since Hewitt. Popyrin stated he hopes to proceed his successful connection to Hewitt, a former US Open singles and doubles champion alongside Max Mirnyi.

“I believe, you already know, to be talked about in the identical title as Lleyton, certainly one of our greats, is at all times unbelievable,” Popyrin stated. “However yeah, it is an important feeling. I believe I used to be the primary Aussie to win a Masters 1000 since Lleyton additionally, in order that’s additionally an important feeling.

“Hopefully I can proceed that development and do some extra issues that Lleyton has executed previously.”