Popyrin breaks hoodoo and Australia's Paris duck
Alexei Popyrin has got the Australian show rolling at Roland Garros, ending his nightmare sequence at the French Open for his first opening-round win at the clay-court slam in six years.
The Australian men's No.2, who's had a poor run in the senior event in Paris ever since winning the boys' title back in 2017, was in charge of his first match against Yoshihito Nishioka, leading 7-5 6-4 1-2, when the Japanese left-hander had to retire with injury on Monday.
After Sunday's first-day wipe-out with all three Australians exiting - Tristan Schoolkate, Destanee Aiava and Rinky Hijikata - Popyrin was charged with breaking the duck for the 16-strong Australian contingent on a busy second day for the green-and-gold brigade.
And the 25th seed did just that, his path eased immensely once world No.77 Nishioka began to struggle with a lower back complaint near the end of an even opening set.
At 5-5, Nishioka suddenly threw in a distracted service game with three straight unforced errors, looking bothered by the ailment.
And after Popyrin served out for the set to love, Nishioka needed a medical timeout for courtside treatment to his back and hip.
On the resumption, Popyrin, dominant behind his big serve while not giving up a single break point all match, took control with a break in the seventh game before easing through the second set.
While still battling and leading in the third, the 29-year-old Nishioka's discomfort became too much to bear, as he ended up gloomily offering his hand to the Sydneysider.
It was a huge relief for world No.25 Popyrin, who's endured a difficult season with injuries, illness and a break with his co-coach Xavier Malisse as his stellar 2024 form dipped.
After exiting in the second round at this tournament in 2019, Popyrin had been knocked out in his past five first-round appearances, having endured tough draws, including Rafa Nadal and Fabio Fognini, before losing in five sets to compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis last year.
Earlier, it had been revealed Nick Kyrgios had withdrawn from his planned return in the men's doubles, ending the prospect of his first competitive Roland Garros outing for eight years.
Australia's former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, whose recent career has become a stop-start affair riddled with injury concerns, had declared a couple of weeks ago that he planned to play alongside old friend Jordan Thompson in the doubles.
But when the draw was announced on Monday, it was confirmed Thompson was lining up instead alongside fellow Aussie Jason Kubler for a first-round match against French pair Quentin Halys and Albano Olivetti.
Kyrgios will be at Roland Garros, where he last competed in 2017 while reaching the second round, but only off-court as a TV commentator, as he increasingly turns his attention to media opportunities.
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