Ascending Australian star Alexei Popyrin believes maximising his chances will be the key to toppling tennis legend Novak Djokovic in their third grand slam showdown this year at the US Open.
Popyrin’s 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 defeat of Spain’s Pedro Martinez was not always as straightforward as the scoreline suggests, with the No.28 seed having to rally from a break down in both the first two sets of their second-round clash, but he never looked in any danger.
Popyrin pounded 13 aces and 36 winners overall to Martinez’s five, and abused his rival’s second serve, with the 43rd-ranked Spaniard winning only a quarter of those points, including just one of his first 16.
However, he will need to steer clear of the serving lapses he had against Martinez if he is to notch his maiden win against Djokovic, who advanced when fellow Serb Laslo Djere retired while trailing 6-4, 6-4, 2-0.
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