Australian underdog Alexei Popyrin couldn’t hold back tears after a staggering upset win over eighth seed Taylor Fritz.
Popyrin won his second five-set match in three days to become the first Aussie into the third round, before delivering an emotional interview to the roaring crowds at John Cain Arena.
“Oh my God, it was just crazy man. I really couldn’t have done it without you guys,” he said of the local support.
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“This win means so much to me. I had the toughest year last year, didn’t win many matches. I won as many matches this year as the whole of last year and it’s only January,” he added.
“I don’t want that feeling last year that I had ever again,” he said. “I wrote it down. I’m going to keep going and try and go all the way because I love this feeling and I want more of this feeling.
“I want you guys to have this feeling more. Man I love you guys so much.”
“This is a dream for me and I don’t want to wake up at all,” he finished.
Popyrin lost the first set in a 7-4 tiebreak, but won the second set in a dominant tie-break, winning the first five points in a row in a 7-2 tie-break.
He went to another level in the third set, breaking Fritz en route to a 6-4 set where the Australian did not lose a single point on his own serve.
The duo traded breaks in the fourth set, with Popyrin saving a set point to reach the tie-break. The Australian wasted a match point as Fritz sent it to a decider.
But Popyrin – just as he did in the early hours of Wednesday morning – would not be denied. He broke early in the final set and, when a second match point came up, he broke Fritz again to seal the incredible victory.
