Alexei Popyrin gallantly prolonged world No.2 Novak Djokovic to 4 units of their third-round conflict at Wimbledon 2024.
London, Nice Britain , 7 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Alexei Popyrin’s career-best run at Wimbledon has come to an finish, bowing out in a tightly contested third-round battle with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
The second-seeded Djokovic scored a 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3) victory in a Centre Court docket encounter that lasted three hours and 5 minutes.
“I’m shut. I really feel very shut. It’s only a matter of 1 or two factors in essential moments,” mentioned the world No.47, who was aiming to turn into the lowest-ranked participant to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam match in additional than six years and the lowest-ranked participant to beat him at Wimbledon in 16 years.
“He was fairly stable and I performed just a few free factors within the tiebreak and that’s all it took for him to take cost.”
Popyrin’s earlier finest efficiency on the All England Membership was a second-round look on debut in 2019.
After tallying a career-high 4 top-100 wins on grass this season, Popyrin admitted he had a newfound appreciation for what has usually been his least favorite floor.
“That I can play on a grass courtroom is the most important optimistic,” he mentioned.
“I can battle with one of many best of all time on grass courts. I can have my alternatives. I can take units. I can take him to a tiebreak. I can battle with him. For those who requested me this time final 12 months if I may battle with these guys, then I’d in all probability say no.
“This 12 months I’ve completed it. I really feel actually snug. I do know precisely what I’ve to do subsequent 12 months coming onto the grass and I’m sort of a bit sorry that the grass-court season is so brief. I used to be simply sort of digging my ft into it and actually having fun with it.
“Each single time I used to be on the grass it was actually, actually enjoyable, so it’s only a disgrace that it’s such a brief season. Hopefully sooner or later we will discover a approach to make it longer.”
The 24-year-old now turns his consideration to making ready for his upcoming Olympic debut.
Popyrin has been chosen to symbolize Australia in singles and doubles (partnering Alex de Minaur) on the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games later this month.
Aussies in motion – Wimbledon
RESULTS
Males’s singles, third spherical
[9] Alex de Minaur (AUS) d [Q] Lucas Pouille (FRA) walkover
[2] Novak Djokovic (SRB) d Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3)
COMING UP
Males’s singles, fourth spherical
[9] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v Arthur Fils (FRA)
> VIEW: Wimbledon 2024 males’s singles draw
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