Australia’s Alexei Popyrin came back from a set down yesterday to beat Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik at the Singapore Tennis Open and win his first ATP Tour title.
Popyrin started off badly, losing the first set 4-6, but charged back and snatched the second 6-0. Bublik put up more of a fight at the start of the third, with both men holding their serve until it reached 2-2.
However, Popyrin then surged ahead, firing a total of 11 aces, to take the set 6-2 and clinch the title.
Photo: AFP
The 21-year-old, who had earlier stunned former world No. 3 Marin Cilic in the semi-finals, was delighted with his breakthrough.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to know I have won my first ATP title,” he said. “I always have the belief that I can compete against the top guys, and without that belief, I would not be able to win an ATP title. It’s a good start and hopefully I can build on this result.”
“We put in a lot of hard work in pre-season and it’s paying off,” Popyrin said. “Also my family behind the scenes ... they’ve sacrificed so much for me and to finally win a tournament, just shows how much hard work they put in with me also and this is for them, this is for them 100 per cent.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
He added that Bublik “was mentally up and down, so I just had to keep my head level and weather the storm when he was playing well in the first set. I was not scared — I knew I was playing well”.
In the doubles finals, the formidable partnership between Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen proved too strong for Australia’s Matthew Ebden and John-Patrick Smith as the Belgians won comfortably 6-2, 6-3.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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