Adelaide International 1, 2023: Auger-Aliassime, Rune suffer shocking first-round exits
Australian Alexei Popyrin ousted world number six Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first round of the men's singles match at the Adelaide International 1. The 23-year-old clinched only the third Top 10 win of his career as he overcame second-seeded Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6(5). Meanwhile, Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan stunned fifth-seeded Holger Rune 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to enter R16 of the ATP 250 event.
Popyrin overcomes Auger-Aliassime in straight sets
Popyrin fired 11 aces to Auger-Aliassime's seven. Both conceded two double faults each. Popyrin converted two of his four break points and also won a tie-breaker. He won a total of 70 points. Notably, he had a staggering 78% win on his first serve and collected, including 48 through serves alone. Interestingly, it was Popyrin's maiden ATP head-to-head with the four-time titlist.
What's next for Popyrin?
World number 120 Popyrin will next face American Marcos Giron, who beat Richard Gasquet 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 7-5. Notably, Popyrin has also grabbed Top 10 wins over Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the past.
Key stats from Rune-Nishioka's game
Nishioka didn't fire a single ace, while Rune managed 14 in this regard. Both accounted for eight double faults each. Nishioka converted four of his 11 break points. He gained a total of 91 points, while Rune collected 90. Notably, he collected 39 receiving points while Dane's tally read 34. Interestingly, it was Nishioka's maiden ATP meeting with the 2022 Paris Masters champion.
Nishioka to face Mackenzie McDonald
27-year-old Nishioka is currently at a career-high world ranking of number 36. He will cross swords with American Mackenzie McDonald, who was handed a walkover by Daniel Galan in R32.
