Alexei Popyrin bows out tamely at French Open following straight-sets loss to Tommy Paul

Australia Broadcast Center

a day ago

Alexei Popyrin could find no way through Tommy Paul as the Australian men's challenge at the French Open came to an end in the Roland-Garros sunshine.
Popyrin never looked like grasping the opportunity to earn his first quarterfinal appearance at a major, succumbing 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen in a one-sided fourth-round match.
Paul will face either US compatriot Ben Shelton or Spain's defending champion and second seed, Carlos Alcaraz, in the quarterfinals.
Outplayed by world number 12 Paul in all departments, it was a massive disappointment for 25th seed Popyrin, who had been hoping to go at least one round further than last year's US Open.
Popyrin defeated Novak Djokovic before falling in the round of 16 to Frances Tiafoe in New York last September.
In Paris, Popyrin's exit after one hour and 51 minutes on court meant Daria Kasatkina is the last Australian standing in the singles draws.
Kasatkina — contesting her first major since gaining permanent Australian residency — faces Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in the last 16 in the women's draw.
She advanced from the third round via a 6-1, 7-5 defeat of former world number two Paula Badosa.
Kasatkina's victory had meant there were Australians in the fourth round of both the women's and men's singles draws in the same year for the first time in 37 years.
AAP/ABC