Popyrin beaten at Adelaide International

Joel Gould | January 6, 2023

Alexei Popyrin’s strong run at the Adelaide International is over after a three-set quarter-final loss to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.

Nishioka won 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (8-10) 6-2 and came good after a temper tantrum when he went behind 4-1 in the first set.

The world No.36 found the line early in the fifth game of the set, but the chair umpire called it out before Popyrin got his racquet to the ball.

The point was replayed, Popyrin won it and Nishioka blew up. He demanded to see the ATP supervisor and got his way.

“I am rooted now,” the Japanese player moaned.

In fact, he was boosted by his emotional outburst and fought back to win the first set in a tiebreaker.

Popyrin saved two match points in the 12th game of the second set in his quarter-final with booming serves and then went on to win the tiebreaker to take it to a third set.

His Japanese opponent finish the stronger as Popyrin, looking in discomfort with an apparent back problem, faded in the deciding set.

He took a medical time-out before Nishioka served it out to book a semi-final date with American Sebastian Korda, who upset Italian sixth seed Jannik Sinner 7-5 6-1.

Despite losing, Popyrin has started 2023 on a high under new coach Xavier Malisse.

Popyrin was playing his first quarter-final at the top level since winning his maiden ATP Tour title in Singapore in February of 2021 when he beat Alexander Bublik in the final.

The Australian had his ranking up as high as No.59 but that slipped last year after a string of disappointing early round losses.

Popyrin was seeking three consecutive wins over a top-100 player for the first time in the main draw of a tournament.

Despite Friday’s defeat, Popyrin’s run is a timely boost ahead of this month’s Australian Open, where the 23-year-old has twice reached the third round and will compete as a wildcard in 2023.