MEDVEDEV LOOSES TO AUSTRALIAN POPYRIN AT PARIS MASTERS

Australia's Alexei Popyrin beat Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his career (JULIEN DE ROSA

Daniil Medvedev is still searching for his first ATP tournament victory this year after the world number five lost to Australia's Alexei Popyrin for the first time in his career at the Paris Masters on Wednesday.

Medvedev won the Paris title in 2020 but has not found the indoor tournament to his liking in recent years -- the defeat to Popyrin is the third successive time he has gone out in his opening round.

Popyrin, who has been in a rich vein of form this year winning his first Masters tournament in Montreal in August and beating Novak Djokovic in the US Open, edged Medvedev 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a gripping second round match.

For Popyrin, ranked 24 in the world, it was only his third win over a player in the top five.

"It is the first time I have beaten him (in four meetings)," said Popyrin, who will play the winner of the match between France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Karen Khachanov of Russia.

"We have had some right old battles in the past and it is a real pleasure to have performed like this this time round."

Medvedev, who has already qualified for the season-ending Masters, fought back twice in the deciding set.

He came back from 4-1 down to force a tie-break and then trailing 4-1 in that he levelled at 4-4.

However, with Popyrin leading 5-4, Medvedev double-faulted giving the 25-year-old Australian two match points and he wasted no time in sealing the victory on the first one.

Medvedev is not the first high profile seed to fall at the first hurdle as his compatriot Andrey Rublev and Norway's Casper Ruud have already lost.

Carlos Alcaraz remains in the mix having won his first match on Tuesday and is favoured to take the title after Italian world number one Jannik Sinner withdrew from the tournament due to an intestinal virus.

Alcaraz will play France's Ugo Humbert in the third round, the French number one breezed past America's Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday.

A potential dark horse for the title is Bulgarian eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 7-5.

Dimitrov still has a chance of qualifying for the Masters, if he won the Paris title he would move past Djokovic (sixth), Ruud (seventh) and Rublev (eighth).

Just the top eight qualify for the climax to the ATP season in Turin.

"I would give a lot to be in (Turin)," said Dimitrov, who reached the Paris final last year.

"I'm in a place where I am still a contender, I'm still fighting against the best players in the world, and still beating the younger guys.

"This gives me confidence and makes me happy."

Germany's world number three Alexander Zverev is already booked into Turin and begins his Paris campaign later on Wednesday against the Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor.

- AFP

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ATP ROUNDUP: KAREN KHACHANOV ADVANCES IN DOHA

Karen Khachanov. Reuters 

 Second-seeded Karen Khachanov recorded a 6-4, 7-5 win over Fabian Marozsan on Wednesday in the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

Khachanov, of Russia, fired six aces and benefited from three double faults by his opponent to dispatch the Italian in 88 minutes.

Top-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia cruised past France's Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-4.

The third seed, Ugo Humbert of France, also sailed through to the quarterfinal round with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Pavel Kotov of Russia.

Fourth-seeded Alexander Bublik had a tougher time in his match against Marton Fucsovics of Hungary. The Kazakhstan native overcame six double faults and rebounded from a first-set misstep in his 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.

Also Wednesday, Alexei Popyrin of Australia notched a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8), 6-1 victory over Frenchman Hugo Grenier, and Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori posted a 6-3, 6-3 win over Christopher O'Connell of Australia.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray of Great Britain fell in a tough three-set match to Czech 18-year-old Jakub Mensik, who ousted No. 5 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in the first round. Mensik needed three hours, 26 minutes to beat Murray 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4).

France's Gael Monfils eked out a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (2) victory over China's Zhang Zhizhen.

DJOKOVIČ,SABALENKA GO THROUGH AFTER JAUBER OUSTED TALENTED TEEN

Reuters

Novak Djokovic fought off another feisty challenge to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday after women's champion Aryna Sabalenka made more serene progress and Ons Jabeur crashed out at the hands of a schoolgirl.

Top 10 seeds Coco Gauff, Barbora Krejcikova, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas all got through their second-round contests in varying conditions as Melbourne lived up to its reputation for changeable weather.

Rain washed out more than three hours of play on the outer courts at the start of the day but the skies had long cleared by the time Djokovic took to the court where he has won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam titles.

As in his four-hour first round clash against qualifier Dino Prizmic, the 36-year-old Serbian looked in full pomp in the opening set against Australian Alexei Popyrin but lost the second.

The aggressive Popyrin, backed by a crowd in full voice, had set points in the third set but Djokovic saved them and, riled by an exchange with a fan in the crowd, ran out a 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) 6-3 winner.

POPYRIN (AUS) VS. ARNALDI (ITA) | DAVIS CUP HIGHLIGHTS

AUSTRALIA OUTCLASS FINLAND TO RETURN TO DAVIS CUP FINAL

Reuters 

Australia reached a second successive Davis Cup final when Alex de Minaur overpowered Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4 6-3 after Alexei Popyrin beat Otto Virtanen 7-6(5) 6-2 to earn the 28-time champions a 2-0 win over Finland on Friday.

Lleyton Hewitt's team, who lost to Canada in the 2022 final and missed the opportunity to close in on 32-time champions the United States, will face Serbia or Italy who meet in the second semi-final on Saturday.

Giant-killers Finland were the only country left in Malaga to have not won a Davis Cup crown after the Netherlands lost to Italy but their quest to make a first final in the elite men's team competition ended with a whimper.

De Minaur, who sparked Australia's comeback victory in their quarter-final against the Czech Republic, left the Finns with an uphill task as he showed his resolve to recover from an early break against Ruusuvuori and take the first set.

Ruusuvuori showed little sign of the shoulder problem that kept him out of Finland's stunning win over champions Canada in the last eight and played aggressively in the second set but De Minaur held firm.

"Extremely proud moment but I could have not done it without these guys," De Minaur said, pointing to his team. "What we have been able to accomplish in back-to-back years is special just to show we come together as a group and how important it is for us.

"Alexei hasn't played for Australia in a very long time and had a massive match. He played a very high quality opponent and dug super deep. He won us the tie.

"I'm happy to be in another final and hopefully we can do one better."