Alexei Popyrin has been crushed in an upset loss despite winning the first set of his four-set thriller against France’s Corentin Moutet, citing a plethora of injuries on court.
The Australian fan favourite burst off the blocks in his match, pushing Moutet to the limit to come out with a 6-4 victory.
In a marathon opening set, the pair were forced to play for nearly 69 minutes as the prominently Australian crowd rose with every little win for Popyrin.
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But the pain became overwhelming after his triumphant start, with the Australian slowing right down and looking in pain throughout the second set.
He would go on to lose the second set 3-6, taking a medical timeout.
During his time off court, Popyrin was treated for lower back and left glute pain.
As the match progressed, the 25-year-old began to complain of hamstring soreness.
“What he was saying is, he felt it (lower back pain), when he was running towards one of the drop shots,” Jelena Dokic said on Nine commentary at the time.
“Now he’s saying he’s feeling it on the serve.”
Alexei Popyrin of Australia reacts against Corentin Moutet of France. Getty
Fitness concerns continued to impact his performance but Popyrin appeared to be managing the pain better as he battled through the third.
Narrowly missing out on gaining the upperhand ahead of the fourth, the Aussie lifted and shifted momentum back into his favour.
“You always want to stay one break away from you opponent, you never know what can happen,” Dokic said.
But his advantage was short lived as Moutet unveiled a montage of classy and high-pressure shots to swiftly regain control of the match.
A troubling service game combined with 53 unforced errors marked the end of Popyrin’s campaign on home soil, with the unseeded Frenchman winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
