Popyrin

2023 - 1 - 21

Alexei Popyrin - ben shelton

Post cover — Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Alexei Popyrin goes down in straight sets to Ben Shelton in ... (ABC News)

An Australian male tennis player hits a backhand in an Australian Open match. Alexei Popyrin did his best but he could not meet the challenge posed by Ben ...

Games were on serve in the third set when Popyrin was serving to stay in the match at 4-5, but Shelton won four consecutive points to close out the win, right on two hours. A booming ace saved the third of three break points in the fifth game, before he applied pressure of his own to Shelton's serve. Just as he did in the opening two rounds, Popyrin showed his fighting spirit when he had his back to the wall. Play was briefly paused in the fourth game when a spectator appeared to faint in the crowd but the turning point of the set came not long after, when Shelton broke Popyrin's serve. Popyrin, who was awarded a wildcard into the main draw, did have a break point in the opening game, but Shelton recovered to hold. Alexei Popyrin has exited the Australian Open following a spirited display in his straight-sets loss to talented American Ben Shelton in the third round.

Popyrin crushed by 20yo American beast as stunning blitz ends ... (Fox Sports)

Australian underdog Alexei Popyrin has fallen short of a best-ever grand slam campaign, bundled out in the third round of his home major by American prodigy ...

Shelton brought up a third break point, but Popyrin unleashed a 209km/h ace to deny the American before holding his serve. For the third consecutive match, Popyrin lost the opening set – this time 3-6 – as he struggled to find his rhythm against the left-handed world number 89. Three consecutive unforced errors from Shelton saw the American face two break points at 15-40. Shelton staved it off, before both players quickly held their serves in the next two games. The Australian’s half-volley drop shot wasn’t quite good enough, with Shelton racing forward and slamming a crosscourt passing shot. The son of former star Bryan Shelton (also his coach) had never even played outside of the US until this month – but his decision to get a passport has paid off handsomely. Shelton, however, held to love once more. More importantly for the Australian, however, is his impressive return to form after a nightmare 2022. Popyrin had only ever beaten a top-10 player via injury retirement before this year. 5) in straight sets in Cincinnati. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo.

Australian Open silenced as Alexei Popyrin crashes out to American ... (7NEWS.com.au)

The 23-year-old's disappointing loss leaves only one Aussie left in the hunt at Melbourne Park.

“You don’t want a walkover into the final of a slam. “I want to take it to them and show what I’m made of in the biggest of stages and just test myself out there and really take it to them.” “I mean, you’ve got to step it up. I’m going to probably have the best in the world in front of me - and I’m ready for the battle. You want to be playing the best in the world. “Ultimately, if you want to go deep, and you want to really take it to the best players in the world, that’s the game plan.

Rising American ends Popyrin's Open run (The Age)

Australia's Alexei Popyrin is out of the Australian Open, falling to young American Ben Shelton in an entertaining third-round clash.

To his credit, Popyrin entered the second set with plenty of resolve. [A big-serving and eye-catching leftie, Shelton had the goods in all the big moments](https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/beware-of-the-wounded-djoker-why-these-potential-opponents-should-look-out-20230120-p5ce6w.html), whereas Popyrin will be lamenting the occasional lapse. The bottom quarter of the men’s draw opened up noticeably. De Minaur is in the fourth round with a showdown against either Novak Djokovic or Grigor Dimitrov to come. This run at Melbourne Park equals Popyrin’s best finishes at his home slam – runs to the final 32 in 2019 and 2020. If you hadn’t heard his name yet, you’ll be hearing plenty more soon. Plainly and simply, Popyrin came across an opponent to watch and who could continue to climb the rankings quickly. The lanky right-hander forced three break-point chances but couldn’t quite convert. Popyrin was hardly disgraced in a clinical performance by the 20-year-old, who grew with confidence through the match, winning 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. It was a willing game but the Florida-raised Shelton came out of it with a bit more step in his stride. Instead he can focus on some gains, including his big five-set second-round win over Taylor Fritz. Shelton is a relative newbie to the ATP Tour after a college background but, on the evidence in Melbourne so far, he’s a player with a game to match the talk.

American's cheeky message to Aussie crowd (NEWS.com.au)

There is no place for tennis quite like John Cain Arena.

I fell in love with the sport and here we are,” he said. “The sound in there kind of vibrates. “Honestly, if this is the way he plays day in and day out, the guy is top 10 in six months,” he said. News.com.au asked Shelton about the crowd after the match. He said he knew he was in a special arena when the crowd “booed me as soon as I walked out”. There were a few Aussie guys screaming for me in the crowd and I don’t think the rest of the Aussies liked that too much.”

Shelton gets better of Popyrin and 'rowdy' crowd to roar into last 16 (Reuters)

American Ben Shelton put on a masterclass in powerhouse hitting to down local favourite Alexei Popyrin 6-3 7-6(4) 6-4 in the Australian Open on Saturday to ...

"For the first 12 or 13 years of my life, I swore that I would never play tennis. That was my dad's thing and I was going to let him have it," he said, referring to his father Bryan who reached a career-high ranking of 55 in the 1990s. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story

Australian Open 2023: Shelton topples Popyrin in third round (Tennis Australia)

Alexei Popyrin's Australian Open 2023 campaign ends in the third round against fast-rising American Ben Shelton.

“I think there’s positives I can take out from the whole month. From the top of my head, two top-10 wins. The added element for the world No.89 was his nothing-to-lose fearlessness. “He played great today. “I don’t think I did much wrong. I think when I had my chance, he played them out,” Popyrin added.

Popyrin loses to American Shelton at Open (Blue Mountains Gazette)

Australian Alexei Popyrin has been demolished in straight-sets by breakout American Ben Shelton in the third round of...

I think when I had my chance, he played them out." His father, Bryan, played professionally for almost a decade and made the fourth round of Wimbledon in 1994. Popyrin continues to search for an elusive spot in the second week of a major, having bowed out in the third round of a grand slam for the fifth time.

Aussie's struggle revealed by 'proud' partner (Wide World of Sports)

Alexei Popyrin's partner Amy Pederick has lifted the lid on the young Aussie's difficult 2022.

Popyrin will be in action again on Sunday, in the men's doubles with Marc Polmans. "He has had an insane start to the year in 2023. He got a new nutrition coach on the team, and I think he has worked so hard to build an amazing team and build that strong support system. He tried everything, mentally. [Furious American rips umpire over 'circus' crowd](https://wwos.nine.com.au/tennis/australian-open-news-2023/4b996037-c968-45f1-bc20-4b5b14043386) [Australian Open 2023 day seven](https://wwos.nine.com.au/tennis/australian-open-2023-live-results-day-seven-andy-murray-iga-swiatek/5c297b76-bd3e-4834-93c7-add701283126)

Popyrin's muted Australian Open exit leaves rising star Shelton ... (The Guardian)

While expectations were high for Alexei Popyrin after his win against Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton is on his own upwards trajectory.

But I’ve fallen in love with the sport, and hopefully I can make a career out of it.” “I wanted to take the process slow and make sure I really develop my game and not chase points, and I’m really pleased with where I am. The son of the former player Bryan Shelton – who now coaches his son – his past 12 months have been so fruitful he has climbed almost 500 places in the rankings and will leave Melbourne Park with one substantially higher than his current place of No 89. Despite pushing Shelton to a break point in the opening game of the match, his counterpart took the set with little fuss, sending down second serves as fast as 206kph and his first serve topping out at 226kph. [Australian Open](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/australian-open), it is the emergence of talent that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. It possibly also helped that Popyrin had already spent eight and a half hours on the court over his two previous five-set wins at Melbourne Park, though his demeanour appeared more tense than tired.

Popyrin hypes Open conqueror Shelton (The Canberra Times)

Beaten Australian Alexei Popyrin believes his Australian Open conqueror Ben Shelton can surge into the world's top 10...

Popyrin

Explore the last week