Dubai, United Arrab Emirates, 23 February 2022 | Vivienne Christie
Dubai, UAE
Alexei Popyrin has capitalised beautifully on a last-minute alternative to compete within the Dubai Obligation Free Tennis Championships, progressing to the second spherical with a 6-2 6-3 win over Nikoloz Basilashvili.
After exiting within the ultimate spherical of qualifying, the Australian entered the primary draw into the ATP 500 event as a fortunate loser.
Popyrin took 59 minutes to beat Basilashvili, who at world No.19 is ranked significantly larger than the No.66 Australian.
With beneficial effectivity, Popyrin served 5 aces, not a single double fault and saved all break factors that he confronted in opposition to the skilled 30-year-old.
It units up a gathering with Ricardas Berankis, a qualifier on the profitable event.
Alex de Minaur had a more durable day in Dubai, struggling a three-sets loss to Karen Khachanov.
Earlier in Dubai, Australian qualifier Chris O’Connell pushed Andy Murray in a decided show earlier than exiting to the previous Grand Slam champion in three units.
Aussies in motion – Dubai
RESULTS
Males’s singles, first spherical
[LL] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) d Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-2 6-3
Karen Khachanov (RUS) d Alex de Minaur (AUS) 6-3 6-7(1) 7-5
[WC] Andy Murray (GBR) d [Q] Chris O’Connell (AUS) 6-7(4 6-3 7-5
Males’s doubles, first spherical
[3] John Friends (AUS)/Filip Polasek (SLO) d [WC] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND)/Saketh Myneni (IND) 7-5 7-5
COMING UP
Males’s singles, second spherical
[LL] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v [Q] Ricardas Berankis (LTU)
Males’s doubles, quarterfinals
[3] John Friends (AUS)/Filip Polasek (SLO) v Hubert Hurkacz (POL)/Jannik Sinner (ITA)
