The 20-year-old made a name for himself at Melbourne Park last year and he may be on the way to a similar run after progressing to the second round of the season-opening major.
Alexei Popyrin has enjoyed safe passage through to the second round of the Australian Open after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was forced to retire because of injury.Alexei Popyrin lost the opening set in a tiebreak, but dropped just three games to win the next twoPopyrin is on course to face fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in the third round
The 20-year-old Australian was leading 6-7 , 6-2, 6-1 when Tsonga called for the doctor to treat what appeared to be a back injury, before the 2008 finalist made the decision not to continue in the first-round match on Melbourne Arena."I never felt like this after a match. He was my hero as a kid. When he made the final here I was in my living room jumping around like a crazy kid.
He struck back to win the next two convincingly, although it was clear Tsonga was in distress prior to requesting medical assistance. Popyrin's booming serve was finding it mark, with 12 aces for the match, while he tallied 34 winners off his racquet against Tsonga's 31.which included a win over French Open finalist Dominic ThiemHe will meet either French wildcard Hugo Gaston or Spain's Jaume Munar in the second round, but a potential clash with fourth-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev awaits in the third round.
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