THOMPSON EYES ALL-AUSSIE CLASH
TENNIS: Jordan Thompson cravescravesan allall-aaustra-t lian third-round showdown with Alexei Popyrin after making a lightning start to the US Open in New York.
In the form of his life, Thompson destroyed Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-3 6-2 6-4 in a relentless display of power, precision and concentration.
“That’s probably one of the best matches I’ve ever played,” Thompson, 25, said. “Served pretty well, made a lot of returns – (on) first and second serves – and executed the game plan, so really happy to get through that one.”
Thompson – who cracked the world’s top 50 last month for the first time – needed five sets to see off Sousa last time they met. The time before, Sousa crushed him in straight sets.
“It was the opposite today. Got through fairly comfortably and saved the legs a little bit,” Thompson said after booking a date with 24th seed Matteo Berrettini.
Should he match his run to the French Open third round, Thompson could play Popyrin for a place in the last 16.
“That would be unbelievable,” he said after Popyrin earlier beat Federico Delbonis 6-1 7-5 7-6 (7-5) in his opener to set up a meeting with Mikhail Kukushkin.
“But there is a long way to go yet.”
Popyrin, who only turned 20 this month, surged into the second round with an impressive straight-sets victory over the Argentine.
After cracking the world’s top 100 for the first time, then earning direct entry into a major for the first time, Popyrin has now reached at least the second round at all four grand slams in 2019.
“I am just going to take it one match at a time, honestly,” said the laid-back youngster.
Thanasi Kokkinakis believes he can do what compatriot John Millman couldn’t and send
Rafael Nadal packing from the US Open after digging deep to post his first main-draw win at a grand slam in more than four years.
Kokkinakis will take on Nadal in the second round after downing Belarusian qualifier Ilya Ivashka 6-3 7-6 (10-8) 6-7 (7-4) 6-2. Millman lost his clash against Nadal, 6-3 6-2 6-2.
Nick Kyrgios, meanwhile, cruised to a 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 victory over American Steve Johnson, crunching 24 aces in the process.
— Darren Walton