Australia’s Alexei Popyrin posts major upset win at Adelaide International, Novak Djokovic loses doubles match

Australia’s Alexei Popyrin has caused a boilover at the Adelaide International with a first-round win over world number six Félix Auger-Aliassime, while Novak Djokovic went down in the doubles.

Popyrin — ranked 120 in the world — triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) over second seed Auger-Aliassime.

The big-serving Popyrin, who came through qualifying, trailed 0-3 in the second set and was also down a mini-break in the tiebreak, but both times clawed his way back.

He only needed one match point to wrap up the biggest win of his career.

“I’m pretty happy, it’s obviously an unbelievable feeling,” Popyrin said in his on-court interview after the match.

“I had a really, really tough season last year and to come out after qualifying and to beat a player of his (Auger-Aliassime) quality just showed the work I did in the off-season is paying off already.”

Popyrin’s fellow Australians Jordan Thompson and Christopher O’Connell both lost in the first round of the men’s singles.

Meanwhile, spectators flocked to see former world number one Djokovic in action in the doubles.

Djokovic is playing in Australia for the first time since he won the Australian Open in 2021.

His appearance in Adelaide comes almost 12 months after he was deported prior to last year’s Australian Open.

The Serbian teamed up with Canadian Vasek Pospisil in the men’s doubles draw, but lost to Bosnian Tomislav Brkić and Ecuador’s Gonzalo Escobar 4-6, 6-3 (10/5).

Djokovic is the top seed in the men’s singles draw, where he will play Frenchman Constant Lestienne in round one.

Unheralded Czech causes boilover

Czech teenager Linda Nosková produced an early shock of the 2023 season in Adelaide.

Eighteen-year-old Nosková claimed her first win over a top-10 player with a 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3 defeat of the Russian third seed and world number eight, Daria Kasatkina.

The 102nd-ranked Nosková had qualified for the main draw after defeating the likes of world number 43 Anastasia Potapova in the qualifying rounds.

Nosková was playing in only her fifth main draw on the WTA Tour and had never previously faced a top-10 player.

Her best win before Monday had been over 38th-ranked Alizé Cornet in the second round in Prague last year, a tournament in which she reached the semifinals.

Nosková achieved a career-high ranking of 87 in 2022 and qualified for the main draws at the French and US Opens.

Fourth-seeded Russian Veronika Kudermetova had no trouble in her opening match, easily accounting for young American Amanda Anisimova, 6-3 6-0.

AAP/AP