Popyrin bags first ATP title in Singapore
Australia’s Alexei Popyrin stormed back from a set down to beat Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 and clinch his first ATP Tour title at the Singapore Open yesterday.
Popyrin fired 11 aces and broke serve five times to hand fourth seed Bublik — who is still searching for his first title — a fourth defeat in a final.
“We put in a lot of hard work in preseason and it’s paying off,” Popyrin said in an on-court interview.
“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.”
The 21-year-old, who upset Marin Cilic in the last-four, made a slow start and dropped the opening set but produced an instant response, breaking Bublik’s serve three times in the second to hand out a rare bagel.
The former junior French Open champion did not let up in the third, surging to a 4-2 lead before closing out the victory when Bublik double faulted.
In Adelaide, French Open champion Iga Swiatek crushed world No.12 Belinda Bencic in straight sets to claim the Adelaide International at Memorial Drive on Saturday.
The 19-year-old Pole was in ruthless form as she downed Bencic 6-2, 6-2 to claim the second title of her career.
Swiatek burst onto the tennis scene at Roland Garros last year when she claimed the French Open crown, defeating then world No.6 Sofia Kenin in the final.
The women’s doubles final was won by Chilean-US pair Alexa Guarachi and Desirae Krawczyk, who beat Hayley Carter of the US and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 10-3.