Alexei Popyrin smooth road moves up at Melbourne after Thiem retirement

Alexei Popyrin grew up in Sydney, Australia and started getting interested in tennis at age four. He grew to love the sport and soon decided to enter many grasscourt championships and national clay court doubles tournaments.

He was eager to learn how to play singles as well as doubles and did well in both. The passion he had for tennis was real and he decided in 2016 to turn pro. Afterward,s he joined the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Nice, France to start his rigorous training to be prepared for the professional touring circuit.

Popyrin felt assure to participate in the 2017 Australian Open in junior doubles and had won 22 consecutive matches before heading into the 2017 French Open junior singles. He also won his first professional ITF title in Poland which helped him move out of his 1000s ranking into the 600s.

Last season in 2018 was a year of learning and growing professionally for Popyrin. He started being ranked no. 622 qualifying for the ATP World Tour at the Sydney International, in his hometown, where he defeated Nicolas Mahut and Federico Delbonis.

He made his first slam appearance at the 2108 Australian Open as a wild card player but didnt go any further than the opening round. It was apparent he had to sharpen his game and went straight to Europe entering Challenger events.

Popyrin was satisfied that he qualified and won the Jinan Challenger in China and a few months later his ranking cleared into the 200s. This elevation helped him qualify into the more prestigious Stockholm Open where he defeated Benoit Paire and Mackenzie McDonald and fellow Australian Matthew Ebden helping his ranking to rise even higher to the 140s.

The current season 2019 he started off rather slow, entering the two warm-up tournaments Brisbane and Sydney leading to the Australian Open. He bowed in both of them but still felt encouraged that his game would come together in Melbourne and it did.

It possibly was the atmosphere and just being close to his hometown and folks that his first round against Mischa Zverev, Sascha Zverevs brother was victorious. He played aggressive, dictating points and felt confident on his strategies as he won the opening round 7-5, 7-6, 6-4.

The second round came off slightly different as he was opposite Austrias Dominic Thiem and should precision and mental strength on playing the no. 8 player in the world. Thiem showed his consistent prowess and gunned his forehand at Popyrin but the young Australian had an answer for most of his returns and stayed with Thiem as the games in the first set were levelled at 4-all until Thiem lost his footing, not able to make a return and gave Popyrin the break of 5-4.

The Austrian seen the match getting away from him and soon had lost the second set 6-4. Thiem had gotten frustrated and smashed his racket having to go get another but only was able to go two games with the young Australian leading 2-0.

Thiem explained that I felt bad during the game…I started to feel like the whole body hurts and generally, I was not feeling well…in the match, it got worse, the whole body hurting I was feeling weak and no sense to continue.

So now Alexei Popyrin goes to the next round against the Frenchman Lucas Pouille with the self-confidence that if he remains consistent he will come out the victor again.