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Aussie Popyrin qualifies for Wimbledon

3 minute read

Exciting teenager Alexei Popyrin has given Australian seven men in the men's Wimbledon draw after surviving three qualifying matches in London.

ALEXEI POPYRIN of Australia plays a forehand shot during the Sydney International at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre in Sydney, Australia.
ALEXEI POPYRIN of Australia plays a forehand shot during the Sydney International at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre in Sydney, Australia. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

Teenage prodigy Alexei Popyrin has fulfilled a lifelong dream and secured a place in the Wimbledon main draw.

Australia's former junior French Open champion overcame American Bjorn Fratangelo in four sets in the final round of qualifying at Roehampton on Thursday.

Popyrin recovered from a mini mid-match collapse - when he dropped the third set, received a warning for swearing and went down a break early in the third set - to clinch a tension-filled 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6) victory on his second match point.

Once again cheered on by his new grasscourt advisor, 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, Popyrin was overjoyed to secure his place in Friday's draw.

"It's defintiely a dream come true. I did it the hard way today but I'm happy to be in the main draw," Popyrin said.

"I'm definitely enjoying that. It's always special to have a legend in the game on your side, in your camp, and he's definitely been giving me a lot of advice, a lot of tips here and there, especially on the grass court.

"He's just a great motivator before the match."

Popyrin broke into the world's top 100 this week but missed last month's direct entry deadline for Wimbledon.

But having already reached the third round of this year's Australian Open as a wildcard, the 19-year-old knows he belongs on tennis's biggest stages.

The Spain-raised Sydney talent joins compatriots Alex de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson, John Millman, Matt Ebden and Bernard Tomic in the All England Club's men's field.

In stark contrast to Popyrin's elation, there was only despair for countrymen Andrew Harris and Jason Kubler.

Harris's bid to follow in his mother's footsteps by making the Wimbledon main draw ended in a crushing defeat at the hands of Frenchman Corentine Moutet.

Harris' mother Anne Minter twice reached the last 16 at the All England Club, in 1988 and 1991, but the 25-year-old was no match for Moutet, succumbing 6-2 6-4 6-4 to the qualifying top seed.

And hoping to qualify for the second straight year, Kubler fell painfully short, the Queenslander blowing a two-sets-to-one lead in a 6-3 4-6 5-7 6-3 6-3 loss to Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama.

Arina Rodionova, Australia's best singles performer at Wimbledon two years ago, was hoping to join world No.1 Ashleigh Barty, Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Gavrilova and Samantha Stosur in the 128-strong women's draw later on Thursday.

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