Australian tennis' biggest active oddity ends as Popyrin advances in French Open
Hard-hitting Joint, one of only two teenagers in the WTA top 100 at a career-high No.53, struck one more winner than Tomljanovic, but delivered a wayward performance with 39 unforced errors to 18.
It was their second meeting within days after Tomljanovic retired due to illness just one set into their semi-finals in Morocco. Daria Kasatkina made it three Australian winners with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 dispatching of Czech Katerina Siniakova in her first grand slam for her adopted country.
Popyrin lost in five sets to countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis last year despite leading 2-0 in the final set, following defeats to Aslan Karatsev, Fabio Fognini, 14-time champion Rafael Nadal, Lloyd Harris and Laslo Djere in previous years.
The Djere loss was the only one not in the first round, but Popyrin deserved to advance against Nishioka, who looked physically compromised early in the match and took a medical timeout after dropping the opening set.
Nishioka, who was ranked No.24 two years ago, has retired or handed his opponent a walkover at six of his past 10 tournaments, and also called it quits one game into the fifth set in the first round of last year's US Open.
Popyrin has a good chance to go further, with another left-hander, Alejandro Tabilo, up next after the Chilean outlasted French wildcard Arthur Cazaux 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. Roland-Garros has mostly been a challenging tournament for Australians, outside Alex de Minaur's surprise quarter-final run last year.
'I can speak only on my behalf that I'm happy that I finally got a win here, [but] I think it's not a secret that probably clay isn't the best surface for Aussies,' Popyrin said.
'Slowly, we're starting to see more and more results and more wins in the first round, which is great, both on the men's and women's side. Maya Joint just won a title on clay last week, which is massive for her.
'The clay court has not been our favourite, but 'Demon' [de Minaur] is playing unbelievable on the clay this year. Hopefully, I can make some results also.'
It was obvious from the outset that the contest was on Popyrin's racquet. He boasts a 26-centimetre height advantage over Nishioka, and pounded 24 winners to 10 without facing a break point.
The hairiest it got for Popyrin was at 30-all in the sixth game of the second set, but he produced an excellent second serve then clobbered a big cross-court forehand that his Japanese rival could not retrieve.
The set was locked a point later before Nishioka dragged a forehand well wide to concede another break in the next game as Popyrin let out a guttural roar.
There was little explanation for Popyrin's claycourt struggles in the French capital, given the surface has been his most successful by win percentage across his tour career.
He reached last month's Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finals – beating three top-20 opponents, including two-time Roland-Garros finalist Casper Ruud – and the same stage in Geneva last week.
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Popyrin would dearly love that form to continue because he is defending more than half his ranking points in the second half of the year, including his Masters 1000 title win in Montreal and third- and fourth-round showings at Wimbledon and the US Open, respectively.
He risks going into ranking freefall unless he can finish the season well after an injury-marred beginning to the year that included his co-coach Xavier Malisse ending their partnership at Indian Wells in March.
Popyrin is still working with Neville Godwin but has added another South African, Wayne Ferreira, to his team.
'I feel the most positive I felt leading up to a tournament in a long time. That's very important for me,' he said.
'I think mentally it's been challenging, but since the start of the claycourt [season], I feel like my game is starting to come back to me; the results are starting to show a little bit more, there's more consistency and match wins every single week.'
Elsewhere, Jordan Thompson lost 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 to Czech Jiri Lehecka; Aleks Vukic went down 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to Russian 24th seed Karen Khachanov; and Kim Birrell exited 6-1, 6-0 to Jaqueline Cristian.
Defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek headlined the day's winners, but there were some major casualties, including Americans Emma Navarro and Taylor Fritz and Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.
No.10 seed Paula Badosa won her heavyweight battle with Naomi Osaka, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 6-4.
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West Australian
29 minutes ago
- West Australian
Jordan Clark is underrated because he doesn't play in Victoria, says North Melbourne coach Alistair Clarkson
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Demons roll dice with Pickett's seven-year deal
Melbourne will hope their latest long-term contract gamble pays off after re-signing star forward Kysaiah Pickett on a monster seven-year extension. Livewire forward Pickett, already locked in for two more seasons, becomes the longest-contracted player in the AFL after rejecting the lure of a return to Western Australia to sign a deal that runs until the end of 2034. Pickett will be 33 by the end of his new contract, a deal reportedly worth $12 million that echoes blockbuster contracts handed to premiership teammates Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca in 2021. The 24-year-old is in career-best form, shooting to stardom this year as one of the most lethal small forwards in the competition. He leads 14th-placed Melbourne (5-8) with 21 goals after kicking three in their King's Birthday blockbuster against Collingwood. It was his five-goal haul against Fremantle in round six that helped spark the Demons after a 0-5 start to the season. The length of the new deal is somewhat surprising, given Pickett has been open about struggling with homesickness since being drafted - and Melbourne would now have leverage if he seeks a move in the next few years. It is also eyebrow-raising given similarly lucrative, long-term deals with Oliver and Petracca have proved testing for both the players and club. Oliver signed a bumper seven-year extension until the end of 2030 off the back of Melbourne's historic 2021 premiership. The star midfielder has since only shown glimpses of the form that earned him four club best-and-fairest awards and three All-Australian nods as he continues to manage personal issues. Petracca re-committed in 2021, when he won the Norm Smith medal, to stay until the end of 2029 before suffering life-threatening injuries in the King's Birthday match last year. Frustrated with Melbourne around their standards and their management of his injury, Petracca wanted out and was keen to explore a move to a big Victorian club. Oliver himself met with Geelong officials and players to test interest in a trade last year. But both he and Petracca ultimately stayed. Pickett's contract extension means a significant chunk of Melbourne's salary cap will likely be tied up in those three players. The crafty forward had been at the centre of rampant trade speculation, given his family links to both Perth and Adelaide. Fremantle, where 2021 premiership teammate Luke Jackson plays, was reported as a potential destination. The support of former Demons player and club Indigenous project officer Matt Whelan helped Pickett come to his decision. "He understands what it's like to be homesick, coming from Darwin," Pickett said in a club-produced video. "He's been here since I've come, and he's been very important. He's the main reason why I do feel comfortable in this space. "He just let me do my own thing and come to a decision myself. "It hasn't really sunk in that I'll be in Melbourne for the next nine years. "It's crazy to think that someone from Quairading (in WA), with not much as a little kid growing up, that they'll be in AFL for so long." Drafted with pick No.12 in 2019, Pickett boasts 182 goals from 116 games. Pickett's deal eclipses Fremantle's Hayden Young, who is signed until 2033. Gold Coast's Mac Andrew is on a five-year contract from 2025, which will be extended to 2034 if targets are met. Melbourne will hope their latest long-term contract gamble pays off after re-signing star forward Kysaiah Pickett on a monster seven-year extension. Livewire forward Pickett, already locked in for two more seasons, becomes the longest-contracted player in the AFL after rejecting the lure of a return to Western Australia to sign a deal that runs until the end of 2034. Pickett will be 33 by the end of his new contract, a deal reportedly worth $12 million that echoes blockbuster contracts handed to premiership teammates Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca in 2021. The 24-year-old is in career-best form, shooting to stardom this year as one of the most lethal small forwards in the competition. He leads 14th-placed Melbourne (5-8) with 21 goals after kicking three in their King's Birthday blockbuster against Collingwood. It was his five-goal haul against Fremantle in round six that helped spark the Demons after a 0-5 start to the season. The length of the new deal is somewhat surprising, given Pickett has been open about struggling with homesickness since being drafted - and Melbourne would now have leverage if he seeks a move in the next few years. It is also eyebrow-raising given similarly lucrative, long-term deals with Oliver and Petracca have proved testing for both the players and club. Oliver signed a bumper seven-year extension until the end of 2030 off the back of Melbourne's historic 2021 premiership. The star midfielder has since only shown glimpses of the form that earned him four club best-and-fairest awards and three All-Australian nods as he continues to manage personal issues. Petracca re-committed in 2021, when he won the Norm Smith medal, to stay until the end of 2029 before suffering life-threatening injuries in the King's Birthday match last year. Frustrated with Melbourne around their standards and their management of his injury, Petracca wanted out and was keen to explore a move to a big Victorian club. Oliver himself met with Geelong officials and players to test interest in a trade last year. But both he and Petracca ultimately stayed. Pickett's contract extension means a significant chunk of Melbourne's salary cap will likely be tied up in those three players. The crafty forward had been at the centre of rampant trade speculation, given his family links to both Perth and Adelaide. Fremantle, where 2021 premiership teammate Luke Jackson plays, was reported as a potential destination. The support of former Demons player and club Indigenous project officer Matt Whelan helped Pickett come to his decision. "He understands what it's like to be homesick, coming from Darwin," Pickett said in a club-produced video. "He's been here since I've come, and he's been very important. He's the main reason why I do feel comfortable in this space. "He just let me do my own thing and come to a decision myself. "It hasn't really sunk in that I'll be in Melbourne for the next nine years. "It's crazy to think that someone from Quairading (in WA), with not much as a little kid growing up, that they'll be in AFL for so long." Drafted with pick No.12 in 2019, Pickett boasts 182 goals from 116 games. Pickett's deal eclipses Fremantle's Hayden Young, who is signed until 2033. Gold Coast's Mac Andrew is on a five-year contract from 2025, which will be extended to 2034 if targets are met. Melbourne will hope their latest long-term contract gamble pays off after re-signing star forward Kysaiah Pickett on a monster seven-year extension. Livewire forward Pickett, already locked in for two more seasons, becomes the longest-contracted player in the AFL after rejecting the lure of a return to Western Australia to sign a deal that runs until the end of 2034. Pickett will be 33 by the end of his new contract, a deal reportedly worth $12 million that echoes blockbuster contracts handed to premiership teammates Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca in 2021. The 24-year-old is in career-best form, shooting to stardom this year as one of the most lethal small forwards in the competition. He leads 14th-placed Melbourne (5-8) with 21 goals after kicking three in their King's Birthday blockbuster against Collingwood. It was his five-goal haul against Fremantle in round six that helped spark the Demons after a 0-5 start to the season. The length of the new deal is somewhat surprising, given Pickett has been open about struggling with homesickness since being drafted - and Melbourne would now have leverage if he seeks a move in the next few years. It is also eyebrow-raising given similarly lucrative, long-term deals with Oliver and Petracca have proved testing for both the players and club. Oliver signed a bumper seven-year extension until the end of 2030 off the back of Melbourne's historic 2021 premiership. The star midfielder has since only shown glimpses of the form that earned him four club best-and-fairest awards and three All-Australian nods as he continues to manage personal issues. Petracca re-committed in 2021, when he won the Norm Smith medal, to stay until the end of 2029 before suffering life-threatening injuries in the King's Birthday match last year. Frustrated with Melbourne around their standards and their management of his injury, Petracca wanted out and was keen to explore a move to a big Victorian club. Oliver himself met with Geelong officials and players to test interest in a trade last year. But both he and Petracca ultimately stayed. Pickett's contract extension means a significant chunk of Melbourne's salary cap will likely be tied up in those three players. The crafty forward had been at the centre of rampant trade speculation, given his family links to both Perth and Adelaide. Fremantle, where 2021 premiership teammate Luke Jackson plays, was reported as a potential destination. The support of former Demons player and club Indigenous project officer Matt Whelan helped Pickett come to his decision. "He understands what it's like to be homesick, coming from Darwin," Pickett said in a club-produced video. "He's been here since I've come, and he's been very important. He's the main reason why I do feel comfortable in this space. "He just let me do my own thing and come to a decision myself. "It hasn't really sunk in that I'll be in Melbourne for the next nine years. "It's crazy to think that someone from Quairading (in WA), with not much as a little kid growing up, that they'll be in AFL for so long." Drafted with pick No.12 in 2019, Pickett boasts 182 goals from 116 games. Pickett's deal eclipses Fremantle's Hayden Young, who is signed until 2033. Gold Coast's Mac Andrew is on a five-year contract from 2025, which will be extended to 2034 if targets are met.
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir wary of much more than North Melbourne big man Tristan Xerri
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'The last four (games) they've been number one pre-clearance, number one pressure. So they make it a good, honest battle in there, and have been getting it going their way more often than not.' Xerri and Jackson are both cat like at ground level, but Roos prime movers Tom Powell, Colby McKercher, Luke Parker, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Dylan Stephens and Jy Simpkin combined for 25 clearances against the Eagles. The Dockers coach said they would look at structure and strategy, rather than major midfield change, backing in the proven combination of Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, Shai Bolton and Jackson, who are all clearance kings. 'Just understanding what they're going to bring and rolling up our sleeves and getting to work just on that,' he said. Veteran Nat Fyfe returned from injury for his first AFL game this season before the bye, having a major impact as the sub in the last quarter. Longmuir said Fyfe's impact was also big off the field and they were weighing up whether to again start the dual Brownlow medallist as the sub or on limited minutes in the starting 22. 'It is important when games get tough and tight to have wise calm heads, especially as a sub against Gold Coast,' Longmuir said. 'Every time someone comes to the bench, they look at the back of the bench and they've got someone who's really measured and calm talking to them and helping them problem solve and work through those situations.' The Dockers will stick with their forward line structure of three talls - Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Patrick Voss - which could stretch a North Melbourne defence missing the in-form key back Charlie Comben, who is out for two to three weeks with a shoulder injury suffered against the Eagles. 'I'm sure they've got some coverage to come in and replace but I think we can utilise that,' Longmuir said. 'The beauty about our talls is, they can provide good aerial targets and threaten aerially, but I feel like they're good at ground level as well, Vossy, Jye and JT. 'They join in at ground level and put pressure on and you don't even realise that we're playing three talls at times down there. 'So everything is an advantage there, but we also think we don't lose anything by playing those three talls.' The Dockers are coming off a hot run of form, with confidence inspiring road wins over GWS and Gold Coast, with a comfortable home victory against Port Adelaide wedged in between. But they are coming off the bye and have lost in the last three seasons off their mid-season break. Longmuir said they had made minor tweaks to their preparation. 'Slightly different,' he said. 'We've been changing up our schedule a bit, so it hasn't been specifically to the bye, but it's probably been specific to long breaks, the way we come out of the weekend in particular we've changed up, and probably most importantly, we've tried not to make it a narrative,' he said. 'We're a different team. We understand that the things that we've been doing prior to the bye have been working. 'So it's probably been more getting back to that process, rather than getting caught up in we need to win off the bye or that previous byes haven't worked for us. A few tinkers to the schedule, but it's mainly been getting players back to the process. ' North Melbourne will be playing its second successive 'home game' in WA, having edged the Eagles in Bunbury last Sunday in front of 12,700 fans with ticket sales for Saturday's game at Optus Stadium tracking on 30,000. The Dockers coach said it was 'critical' Freo fans turned up to the game, even though it was not included in their membership package. 'It's going to be unique. Clearly, it's an away game at Optus and it's not against West Coast, which is something new,' he said. 'It's something new for our players and we are desperate for our fans to get there. 'We understand it's not part of their membership, but we'd love them to fork out a few bucks and come and support us. 'We want to make our home ground a fortress and we need the purple army there to support us. The weather looks like it's clearing up, which may have held a few people back early in the week. 'I'm not 100 per cent on the financials, I don't get involved in that, but it was a bit like Gather Round, in some sense, to the Adelaide teams, where they get to stay at home for an extra week. 'It's an important part of our season, but it's also important part of equality of the fixture, in some sense. So yeah, we want, we want as many to get there as possible.'
